Hearing postponed for teen charged in football brawl
Players fight in a post-game brawl at Pioneer High School on Oct. 12, 2012.
Daniel Brenner | AnnArbor.com
Previous coverage:
- Ann Arbor school board to consider resolution in support of students charged in football brawl
- Football brawl fallout: Some allege prejudice in charging of students
- Group supporting high-schoolers charged in football brawl organizes public marches downtown
- Video footage from Huron-Pioneer football brawl released by Ann Arbor police
A 17-year-old Pioneer student charged in last fall's high school football brawl had his case adjourned in the Washtenaw County Courthouse Friday morning, his attorney said.
The boy's lawyer, Brooke Laurens Williams, did not wish to make any further comment. AnnArbor.com is not using his name because he is a juvenile.
A new court date was set for April 5.
The boy is charged with assault with intent to do great bodily harm less than murder, assault with a dangerous weapon, aggravated assault and assault and battery.
Protesters from the Ann Arbor Concerned Citizens for Justice, a group opposing the charges against the students, were on hand at the hearing. They marched from the library to the courthouse and plan to do so at the future court hearings of the the three students charged in the brawl, claiming the charges are racially motivated. All three students are black.
On Tuesday morning, a disposition will be held for the 17-year-old Pioneer student already found responsible in the case. Being found responsible in juvenile court is akin to being found guilty. What is essentially a sentencing is called the disposition.
Bashier Garain, the one student charged as an adult, is scheduled to appear in court for a final pretrial hearing later that same afternoon. The 18-year-old, who is accused of using a crutch as a weapon, is charged with two felony counts of assault with a dangerous weapon and two misdemeanor counts of assault and battery.
The Ann Arbor Board of Education passed a resolution Wednesday night asking the Washtenaw County Prosecutor's Office to drop the criminal charges in the cases.
John Counts covers cops and courts for AnnArbor.com. He can be reached at johncounts@annarbor.com or you can follow him on Twitter.
Comments
genetracy
Sat, Mar 16, 2013 : 2:56 a.m.
Was there any name calling or intimidation in the hallways this time by the "Citizens for Justice"?
CDW
Sat, Mar 16, 2013 : 1:13 a.m.
Touche, jcj. Clearly I should have noted: diverse mindset. Our diversity of culture is no where near close to A2.
CDW
Fri, Mar 15, 2013 : 10:05 p.m.
Is the BOE in A2 requesting that the two white head coaches be charged too? Their behaviors initiated the entire ordeal. The students, had they been inside the high school, would have unlikely faced any criminal charges. They were on school property, not downtown. I sure hope that the coaches are at the head of the line in the next march to the courthouse! Hopefully the judge will prove to have some common sense in this matter. He should, he has a solid reputation. So glad to be from Ypsilanti! We don't just claim to be diverse, we actually are.
CDW
Sat, Mar 16, 2013 : 2:20 a.m.
VISHa - just read back through the Slauson article comments Criminal charges, you say? Well...the teacher left the students in the room. Now that, sir, may be a charge - negligence? So maybe the school did call. Whew...what a lawsuit waiting there. That'd be a story. But...bet we won't get it, sadly.
CDW
Sat, Mar 16, 2013 : 2:06 a.m.
Fair point. Highly, highly doubtful. I'm not going to hold my breath. I work in public education. Lots of Kool-aid drinkers and loads of ridiculous politics, that have absolutely NOTHING to do with guiding our children towards being productive citizens, nor educating them. I'll be stunned if something pans out from that. However, they didn't share much in the article. My guess, someone overreacted (not an employee), called the police, and then you've got a story, right? (I'm being sarcastic.)
ViSHa
Sat, Mar 16, 2013 : 1:41 a.m.
Police were at Slauson today, who's to say there would not be criminal charges in your example?
jcj
Fri, Mar 15, 2013 : 11:23 p.m.
CDW I would not crow too loud about diversity if I was from Ypsilanti!
Andrew Thomas
Fri, Mar 15, 2013 : 8 p.m.
John, your article incorrectly states that the Board of Education passed a relolution asking that criminal charges be dropped. The resolution contained no such request. Following is the exact wording of the resolution: "We ask that our students, when required to be accountable through the judicial system and thereby learn from their mistakes, be treated with compassion, fairness, equity, efficacy and respect for their ability to learn, and we therefore further recommend that the Prosecuting Attorney, Brian Mackie, consider the best interest of the injured student, the students criminally charged and the community be re-evaluating the degree of criminilization of adolescent behaviors that may be better resolved through a greater emphasis on deucational and developmentally appropriate measures relative to harsh charges and convictions."
Basic Bob
Fri, Mar 15, 2013 : 9:51 p.m.
The weasel words in the resolution imply reducing or dropping charges. But we should not infer that they have asked to have the charges reduced or dropped, because they clearly did not say anything like that. Another statement for the ignore pile.
WalkingJoe
Fri, Mar 15, 2013 : 8:08 p.m.
What you have quoted here sounds to me like double talk from the school board. The way it's worded can be interpreted both ways. In my opinion the school board is just trying to placate both sides.
Alan Goldsmith
Fri, Mar 15, 2013 : 7:59 p.m.
"We reported what we believed to be relevant to the story. We were aware of more details, but didn't think they were pertinent." The reason for the delay in court date wasn't relevant information for this story?
David Cahill
Fri, Mar 15, 2013 : 6:26 p.m.
I happened to be in Judge Shelton's court on another matter and observed this pretrial hearing. It was postponed until April 5 at 9:00. The scheduled jury trial was postponed without a date. The reason for the postponement is that Ms. Williams is not sure she can continue to represent the student because of an unrelated guardianship proceeding in the family. She should know by April 5 if she is able to continue. The student expressed his wish that she continue.
craigjjs
Fri, Mar 15, 2013 : 9:05 p.m.
With all due respect John, I disagree with your conclusion that the details were not relevant. People have been offering all manner of speculation, from racism to witness intimidation. Mr. Cahill's post provided the necessary facts to put an end to that nonsense.
John Counts
Fri, Mar 15, 2013 : 7:43 p.m.
Hi Sam S Smith: We reported what we believed to be relevant to the story. We were aware of more details, but didn't think they were pertinent.
Sam S Smith
Fri, Mar 15, 2013 : 6:38 p.m.
Thank you David Cahill! I thought there was more to this. Why didn't A2.com report this?
Ricardo Queso
Fri, Mar 15, 2013 : 5:47 p.m.
Witness intimidation.
bbb
Fri, Mar 15, 2013 : 5:35 p.m.
I think you mean a deposition will be held on Tuesday, rather than a disposition.
Doug
Sat, Mar 16, 2013 : 2:19 p.m.
bbb, Check out your facts before you try to make someone look silly. It backfired!
craigjjs
Fri, Mar 15, 2013 : 9:03 p.m.
The grammar police go down! Well done Cindy.
John Counts
Fri, Mar 15, 2013 : 6:21 p.m.
A deposition is when testimony occurs in court before a trial. http://dictionary.law.com/Default.aspx?selected=495
Cindy Heflin
Fri, Mar 15, 2013 : 5:54 p.m.
It's a disposition, not deposition. A disposition in a juvenile case is like a sentencing in an adult case.
stevek
Fri, Mar 15, 2013 : 5:32 p.m.
Mrs Williams needs to stop excalating racial issues that didn't exist until she created them.
Billy
Fri, Mar 15, 2013 : 5:32 p.m.
I'm popping the popcorn......should be enough for everyone.... DIG IN!!