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The cases against two of the five teenagers charged in the highly-publicized MAX assault case will be presented to a Multnomah County grand jury Tuesday.
The two are both 15 years old and could be tried as adults if indicted by the grand jury on a Measure 11 crime. If the grand jury declines such an indictment, the two will be refered to juvenile court.
The case against one other 15-year-old is not scheduled to be presented to the grand jury. The remaining two teens are 14. Their cases will be heard by a juvenile court judge who will then decide whether to remand them to adult court.
The five black teens are accused of assaulting and robbing a 28-year-old white woman on MAX train on Sat., June 9. All five were arrested and charged by police with Robbery in the Second Degree, Assault in the Third Degree and Intimidation in the First Degree.
The Intimidation charge is a so-called "hate crime," meaning the other crimes were committed because of the victim's race, color, religion, sexual orientation or national origin. it is a Class C Felony punishable by a maximum of five years in prison and a $125,000 fine.
The widely-publicized incident began around 6:30 p.m. when a group of young people assaulted and robbed the woman after she tried to prevent them from harassing an older woman.
According to the police, some or all of the assailants yelled racial insults at the woman when they assaulted her and stole her purse at the MAX stop at North Prescott and Interstate.
Police responded to the scene within minutes and quickly arrested four of the teens. The fifth suspect was arrested on June 12 after allegedly robbing a mother with her child at gunpoint a transit stop at North Lombard and Incident, approximately 20 blocks from the Saturday incident. The weapon has not been recovered.
The incident has sparked a wave of criticism at TriMet for not doing more to increase safety. The regional transit agency responded that it has increased security in recent months and ordered approximately 50 more employees to focus on checking fares and preventing disruptive behavior since the incident.
Control access to the trains like other parts of the world... its called making it livable.
(email verified)
Sun, Jun 15, 2008 at 11:38 AM
The new charges are as it should be. When the punks started calling the white woman race related names in an attempt to further intimidate her, the crossed from regular assault and robbery to hate crimes. If she was black and they had beaten and robbed her, they likely would not have used racial epitaphs in conjunction with their crimes, but because she was white, they did. That is an added element that upped the ante.
At least the police are attempting to get things under control. They are the only ones who will as Tri-Met does not think it is a Tri-Met problem! On the video you could see two of the kids hold the doors open and look inside to assess the situation. Once they deemed it did not have security, and they spotted their intended target, they and others who were waiting off camera boarded. The victim had no place to go. When another passenger stepped in to try and help her, SHE got beaten and robbed, and SHE had no place to go. Passengers are at the mercy of eachother when there is no place to go to escape a gang like this.
By not having adequate fare inspectors, criminals like these have carte blanche, freely roaming the line like animals, attacking at their will and leisure and using the line not only as a place to target victims, but to get away as well. To me, that sounds like an attractive nuisance, and Tri-Met should be held accountable for letting it degenerate into the crime spree on wheels that it has become. If everyone who boarded paid their fares, many of these ingrates would be eliminated due to the fact that not providing a fare would preclude them boarding. Tell me again why we do not have turnstiles or fare inspectors? Or better yet, BOTH?!?!?
(email verified)
Sun, Jun 15, 2008 at 12:15 PM
i still say we all arm against these idiots. if we as a law abiding people get cwp there wouldn't be this kind of stuff. im ready for you punks.
(email verified)
Sun, Jun 15, 2008 at 12:30 PM
Kevin P-
I'm a minority and I think these kids should be put away. They're losers and obviously in need some serious discipline and a taste of what jail life is really about. Regardless of what color someone is if someone verbally and physically attack someone else, then the first person is a criminal.
(email verified)
Sun, Jun 15, 2008 at 12:41 PM
They absolutely positively have to throw the entire book
at these perpetrators.
They have to receive maximum sentences and it needs to be fully covered in the media.
People need to know that society is not going to put up with any more of this on its public transit system
Al M
(email verified)
Sun, Jun 15, 2008 at 12:58 PM
I wonder if the kid's parents know that their kids are roaming the streets with nothing better to do with their spare time. These parents never taught their kids moral values of how to treat others. Why aren't they doing something positive like having a job. I would always come to the aid of another person especially the elderly. This generation of kids makes me angry.
(email verified)
Sun, Jun 15, 2008 at 01:02 PM
these five persons won´t get notshing but a slap on the hand, WHY, because they are black, And where are there parents who are suposto be in control of them? A black person never does anything wrong, even if they kill, or rape someone, just ask J. Jackson, Or Sharpon. I may sound prejudice, but am tired of seeing the blacks get away with murder, because of their race. Even if a thug is 14 yrs. old, they should pay for their crime like everyone else, and their parents made to pay restitution to the victum and court costs.
(email verified)
Sun, Jun 15, 2008 at 01:09 PM
Cross-
That must be why over 20% of African American males have been in jail, they disproportionately receive the death penalty , and crack is punished more severely than other drugs. Boy, must be easy being black. Without facts, such arguments are what, exactly?
When George Bush launches a war killing a few hundred thousand people based on lies, are you protesting about how white guys get off easy?
(email verified)
Sun, Jun 15, 2008 at 01:18 PM
This is not a race issue. There have been people on Trimet system for years that have been loud, rude and yes even assault other riders and bus drivers themselves! I am so tired of hearing that these things happen in our times. When do these people finally pay the price for hurting another human being? If I was on the Max that day, I would of helped her, just as she had helped the other woman who they were targeting. There are more GOOD people here, than the bad. Trimet needs to provide a safe atmosphere on their lines, and we need to do our part and make sure the police is called before it gets worse. P.S. To the lady that was assaulted, Thank you for helping. You are a true hero.
(email verified)
Sun, Jun 15, 2008 at 01:26 PM
Where are the perpetrators parents, didn't the parents teach these kids how to treat other people? (maybe they did!) If the parents never told these kids I will say it now!
Do not Steal!
Do not Kill!
Do not take drugs!
(email verified)
Sun, Jun 15, 2008 at 01:39 PM
These are just kids, for god's sake! They had difficult childhoods, and perhaps no father when growing up. It's wrong to assume that a 14-year-old kid can be a "racist." These kids just need a good home and more love, some guidance. They should have to do community service and maybe take a class in behavior control, but the people who really suffer if they're locked up will be taxpayers, who'll have to foot the bill.
(email verified)
Sun, Jun 15, 2008 at 01:58 PM
Hey Bernie-
I personally don't care about their tough little lives. Even poor kids in the USA have it great compared to other parts of the world. I say by 14, if they are broken, break them.
(email verified)
Sun, Jun 15, 2008 at 02:29 PM
Cross: That is one of the most uninformed comments I have ever seen. I agree that being 14 should not allow them to get off, but if they do it's because of their age, not their race. Black people getting away with murder because of their race? Get a clue!
(email verified)
Sun, Jun 15, 2008 at 02:55 PM
"They should have to do community service and maybe take a class in behavior control"
LOL!!LOL!!
That was good for a laugh!
Thanks!
(email verified)
Sun, Jun 15, 2008 at 03:11 PM
There is no excuse for the 14 year olds, if they haven't figured it out by then, they ain't goin to get it.
(email verified)
Sun, Jun 15, 2008 at 03:59 PM
It would appear that the woman was targeted because she spoke up, not because she was white. Hate crimes are elevated because they are intended to intimidate an entire specific group.
If you were a black living in a heavily white area and someone firebombed a black home and left a racial message behind, wouldn't you get the message that someone doesn't want you in your community? Wouldn't it be more intimidating than a random arson? Wouldn't the vast majority of whites be outraged but not feel personally threatened?
Do you think that black citizens were perhaps at first concerned about their personal safety on the MAX when they heard about the attack, but were then relieved when they learned the victim was white?
In this case the hoodlums were intimidating an individual who was trying to interfere with their crime spree, not an entire racial or ethnic group solely because of their race or ethnicity. The racial name-calling in my opinion is not enough to elevate this to a hate crime unless there is clear evidence that she was targeted to begin with because of her race.
(email verified)
Sun, Jun 15, 2008 at 04:25 PM
BernieGeeyousto - So you're saying that it's ok for people to rob and hurt other people because your daddy didn't hug you enough? Waaaa! What kind of a message does that send out? Get out of your hippy tree house and go see the world; it's full of rotten human beings who are the way they are because of conscious decisions they made, not always for a lack of love or correct up-bringing.
At age 14 you should have a sense of what's right and wrong, especially when it comes to race and ESPECIALLY if you're a minority because face it, they probably encounter it a lot more and know just how devastating it is hear slurs directed at them. And then they turn around and do this to someone else?
I whole heartedly agree that these kids are rotten and broken. Lock them up and throw away the key.
(email verified)
Sun, Jun 15, 2008 at 04:29 PM
BernieGeeyousto,
A 14 year old kid easily has more than enough cognitive skills to be racist. At the very least, enough so to understand the significance of a racial insult and to use it, as these kids apparently did.
More than that, plenty of people - of all racial and economic backgrounds, btw - live through difficult, fatherless childhoods every day, and the vast majority of them do not go out and attack people. And believe me, you can rest assured that most taxpayers have no problem paying taxes to keep violent thugs like this off the streets.
Anyway, if you're still confused about who the real victims are here, maybe you should try explaining to the two women who were attacked how, really, if we just cut these kids a little more slack, everything would all be okay. I'm sorry, I don't mean to be disrespectful, but I am truly shocked at the tone of your comments.
(email verified)
Sun, Jun 15, 2008 at 04:36 PM
Well, its about time the "hate crimes" laws are being charged as they should. I hope the little pukes get everything they deserve...and more...
And of course their parents know how they behave, where do you think they got the idea that it was ok to behave and think like that...
(email verified)
Sun, Jun 15, 2008 at 05:13 PM
Wow! i have read the story and I have read what everyone has written in regards to what they think is right. I have to say that there are thousands of children around the world who are poor and probable half of them do not have a father figure to help guide them in life. Even so, I do not agree that it is because of these factors they are like they are. I have two kids and I am raising them alone with no male influence so what I guess I should prepare myself for the dact that because we are poor and they have no strong male role model they are going to end up like these kids? I think that there are only 5 people responsible for these kids' actions and it is themselves. If we do not let them know that this is unacceptable and that there are consquences for their actions how will they ever learn. No offens to the parents because I do not believe that it is always the parents fault but someone needs to teach these kids a lesson. I personally do not believe that community service and a class is going to change these boys enough to change how they will continue to treat people. As far as a "hate crime" if a group of white boys had done the exact same thing the minorities would scream for stranger punishment so why is it not ok for white people to do the same? I am sorry but that sounds like a double standard in my book.
(email verified)
Sun, Jun 15, 2008 at 05:27 PM
For Frederick,
Dude get real, you and those children were not brought up in a "system of injustice and inequality". I myself lived through a hellish childhood without a father, and yes I am black. Our mother wouldn't even think about letting us behave this way, much less attempt to justify what can only be described as ignorance.
For the person that said that a 14 year old wouldn't be conscious of racism, look above my comment and see the ignorance that surrounds our neigborhoods to see why these kids are influenced by what can only be described as selfhate. Get of your butts people, get out there and show your children what is proper, it worked for my mom.
(email verified)
Sun, Jun 15, 2008 at 05:48 PM
Fight crime-shoot back.
I carried a gun every day in Oregon. I didn't screw with people-and they didn't screw with me. I think they knew I was someone NOT to screw with.
To the people of Oregon:
To legally carry a gun is easier than you think-even in the People's republic of multhomah county.
(email verified)
Sun, Jun 15, 2008 at 05:54 PM
TO FREDRICK DOUGLAS,
Morons like you are the reason I have Concealed Handgun License.
(email verified)
Sun, Jun 15, 2008 at 07:03 PM
Jeez, the comments that support these degenerate teens' behavior are so obviously designed to incite some kind of verbal war---as if anyone w/half a brain would truly believe that was justifiable behavior. It's not about anything more complicated than how were these children raised. I don't care if they're black, white, or green, it's not about a person's color---it's 50% parental guidance/influence, and 50% personal choice. I'm sick of hearing about how slavery and poor childhoods have turned good people bad--I'm not black, but my great grandmother, from another country, was sold at 9 years old into, yes, slavery. She was raped, beaten, and owned for 7 years. My own mother was born and raised in Hell's Kitchen---a very poor childhood. And if she EVER did anything close to what these degenerate girls did, she would pray the police would catch her before her mother did, because it would be all over for her once mama found out! There are hard luck stories on every street, I'm tired of the excuses and lack of responsibility. Try them as adults. Punish them as adults. Too bad that poor woman whose life they impacted wasn't carrying a weapon of her own. We need to protect ourselves, especially on Trimet property. What's happened to Oregon?????
(email verified)
Sun, Jun 15, 2008 at 07:13 PM
I am a 30 year old black male born and raised in NE Portland. I am not defending those youth or making excuses for their uncivilized behavior and yes what ever stiff sentence they recieve they deserve.
The problem in my opinion is this. When child abuse laws were implemented in the mid 1980's it kind of made it difficult for parents to dicipline their children. In some cases yes children are abused. But, after so many lectures and time outs the next alternative is a good, old fashion, azz whipping. So, there it is people those boys' didn't get their azz's whipped growing up obviously. Because if so, they would have more respect for themselves and others in our community.
Yes, as a kid I got whipped by my parents and others in my family at times when I did the wrong thing. That helped me make better decisions when I became a teenager and in the early 1990's when gangs in drugs ran rabid in NE Portland. You see, if you whip your child when necessary now to teach them a lesson and out of love. You will not have to worry about them getting involved in foolish acts as these youth did or getting beat or shot by The PPD out of fear or hate.
(email verified)
Sun, Jun 15, 2008 at 07:57 PM
Dave said, "It would appear that the woman was targeted because she spoke up, not because she was white. Hate crimes are elevated because they are intended to intimidate an entire specific group."
Well, Dave, I'd have to say that if I was a white person within earshot of this incident, I'd feel pretty intimidated even if I was not the actual target of the robbery or assault, simply because of being white myself and hearing derisive remarks made about the victim being white, so it likely WOULD intimidate an entire ethnic group to hear this hateful verbage.
More from Dave, "In this case the hoodlums were intimidating an individual who was trying to interfere with their crime spree, not an entire racial or ethnic group solely because of their race or ethnicity. The racial name-calling in my opinion is not enough to elevate this to a hate crime unless there is clear evidence that she was targeted to begin with because of her race."
I appreciate you sharing your thoughts. It is plain that you have thought this out and are not just putting emotional knee-jerk reactionary posts up. While it may very well be that she was not targeted because of her race, but simply because of her interferance, if you are correct that additional charge will be thrown out when the case goes to court. In the meantime, this gives the punks something to think about, and that is not going to hurt anyone. Looking at serving Measure 11 time is indeed something for them to consider, and maybe others who might be thinking this is an easy opportunity will think twice if Measure 11 time as an adult is what they think just might be the consequence.
Who is to say what they would have done if the woman stepping in for the assist would have been black? Or if it would have been a black MAN stepping in? Would they have been so aggressive in their response? Would they have beaten and robbed someone of color? Or just shoved them out of the way so they could pursue their original intended target? It seems to me they thought they had license to harm this particular woman, and she was white.
I have some questions about the case: What color was the original target? Was she white, too? Did the criminals conspire to rob a white person or white people in particular before they boarded the train, or just anyone who looked vulnerable? Or anyone who looked like they had something of value? It seems pretty clear from the video that they conspired beforehand to, at the very least, survey the scene before all of them boarded, so I have to wonder what else they did or did not plan before they boarded that day. Perhaps during the police interview process of these five, more detailed evidence came to the fore that prompted the additional charges.
The bottom line, to me, is this: no matter the color of the perpetrators or the color of the victims, there is entirely too much violent crime happening on and around MAX, and Tri-Met is willing to do only as little as they absolutely are forced to do. Clearly it is not enough. Our police departments are being spread thinner as they try and make up for Tri-Met's lack of interest in keeping riders safe.
I read in another thread that a fund has been set up for the victim who is a single mother of three, under the name "MAX VICTIM" at First Interstate Bank. Sounds like a worthy cause to me. Is there a way to verify this?
(email verified)
Sun, Jun 15, 2008 at 08:02 PM
It does not matter what color they are and whether or not they yelled out racial slurs when will Tri Met get a clue that there is a huge problem with their security????? Why should people be afraid or have to put up with this crap. I live in SE Poor Town and when I drive around Burnside and 122nd there are a lot of black teens running wild around the transit area looking for trouble. It seems that the light rail system has taken the place of most of these kid’s parents. If Tri Met would beef up the security a lot of these kids would not hang around. Oh yes getting a concealed weapons permit in Multnomah County is easy and yes I cannot wait for the day that some innocent person who is being robbed or attacked on light rail pull out a gun and use it. Then we will see the law suites. We keep seeing more and more violence around the light rail system everyone needs to stop riding it so they get the message.
(email verified)
Sun, Jun 15, 2008 at 08:10 PM
Leland Peele asks, "Why is it when a black person does something wrong white people show their true racist ways?"
Yes, some of the comments posted here are just plain ugly, but they do not speak for ALL whites, any more than the actions of those kids speaks for ALL blacks. You know that, Leland. Don't you?
(email verified)
Sun, Jun 15, 2008 at 08:10 PM
Take the racist, bigoted slurs out of these commentaries. Folks a crime is a crime. Be it committed by white, black gay, straight or whatever, these "kids" are criminals.
Let the legal system do it's job by prosecuting them.
Let's prosecute them to the fullest extent of the law and also hold the parents accountable for these deviants.
(email verified)
Sun, Jun 15, 2008 at 08:15 PM
CORRECTION, the bank that has an account set up is Wells Fargo, "MAX ATTACK" is the name on the account. Sorry for the error. Still wondering if this is legit.
(email verified)
Sun, Jun 15, 2008 at 08:22 PM
To Gobama,
We're all entitled to our opinion but check this out. Your comment was ignorant. It is not in my people's culture to attack, beat and rob whites. If your dumb azz had any sense black on black crime is higher then black on white crime and vise versa. 500 years of white racism had nothing to do with what those youth did or any other crimes for that matter. Those are just bad azz kids that need to be taught a lesson. Please read my previous comment and you may partly understand why those youth commit those crimes.
If Obama wins these types of crimes will not be allowed no more than they're now!
Also if you want to get down to some facts. Through out history, whos nature is it to conqure a group of people, kidnap, inslave, rape, break up families, steal their land and anything that involves violence? Lol, your ancestors buddy.
So, again when blacks commit crimes it has nothing to do with what I just said in the previous paragraph. It is bad decision making.
Before I conclude this, I believe in defending yourselves against anyone who is trying to do harm to you or your loved ones. Reguardless of their race or age. When those youth commit those crimes, they knew very well what they were doing. The most insane people know that when you wrongfully attack people there will be some consequences.
(email verified)
Sun, Jun 15, 2008 at 08:37 PM
It was the kids themselves who brought race to this issue by making a point of calling the victim derogatory racial slurs.
(email verified)
Sun, Jun 15, 2008 at 08:37 PM
"so-called" hate crimes...
Seems like the writer wishes these hate crimes were not classified as such. Disgusting. I bet the writer would be whipped into an orgy of self righteous hate against whites if they were charged with hate crimes...
(email verified)
Sun, Jun 15, 2008 at 08:38 PM
Just an assumption and not a stereotype, but when you feed your kids mac and cheeze and Mcdonalds for breakfast lunch and dinner from infant to teen years, your brain eventually turns to mush and not developed properly..this is all races..I see this in my work first hand.the above mentioned is considered food so you can not say anything about it..but the catch all, are the "parents"..pretty much worthless.
(email verified)
Sun, Jun 15, 2008 at 09:00 PM
What a joke. If this would have been white kids, the whole black community and the same black leaders that breed hate in this country would be crying foul. Everybody knows this is true, so don't post your a racist or your this comments. Win a argument with liberals and your a biggot. Take those black kids and slap them with measure 11 and send them away to rot.
(email verified)
Sun, Jun 15, 2008 at 09:05 PM
Not only should these scum go to jail for a long long time, so should their parents.
I really don't care about their tough childhood, in other countries kids have it even harder.
Blacks in general do get off easy. See OJ Simpson and R Kelly for examples. One got away with murdering 2 white people, the other got away with raping a 13 year old child. Then there's Michael Jackson, how many kids has he molested by now? 3? 5?
Justice is not harsh or speedy enough, we need to build more jails and start putting people away, the goal is not to "correct" them but simply to seperate them from society until their genepool dies out.
I do think criminality is genetic, I think children of criminals are more likely to become criminals.
I think any felony should be punishable with sterilization, a felon should not be having any kids.
These 5 kids have forfeit their right to reproduce.
(email verified)
Sun, Jun 15, 2008 at 09:22 PM
"liberals suck",
You just made yourself sound like a racist, "Take those black kids and slap them with a measure 11 and send them to rot." Its not that you said that they need the book thrown at them. Its the, "Black kids". It doesn't matter what racial background they're, yes they need to do some hard time no excuses for what they did.
Black leaders don't breed hate in this country come on re-think your comments. You know where the origins of hate comes from right? Lol, not black leaders. It comes from again, your ancestors. Its proven in American history who started groups like the KKK and groups like them.
Still there is no excuse for what those youth did, I'm repeating again!
(email verified)
Sun, Jun 15, 2008 at 09:33 PM
"ou812"
Lol, do you recognize that all those guys you mentioned are millionares right? They didn't get off because of they're black, they got off because they're rich celebrities! Come on now think about it, if they were regular people loke you and me they would be serving long prison sentences.
Criminality isn't genetic, it is taught. If you teach a child from birth to do the right thing, the chances are greater for them to grow up and do so. If you don't teach them anything right and expose them to criminality
yes, they will become criminals.
(email verified)
Sun, Jun 15, 2008 at 09:50 PM
All the anger expressed in these comments just shows the sorry state of affairs in this country. We excel in entertaining people and buying anything pretty and plastic but we do not know how to raise our kids. Electing our first black president will not in and of itself help either. We all need to treat each other with respect.
(email verified)
Sun, Jun 15, 2008 at 10:06 PM
The idea of "Hate Crimes" only furthers the racism that many in our society dedicate their lives promoting day in and day out. All violent crime is a "hate crime" in one way or another - why not just prosecute the CRIME and leave color, religion etc. out of the equation.
(email verified)
Sun, Jun 15, 2008 at 10:37 PM
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Re: Black teens charged with "hate crimes"
I thought only whites could be charged with "hate" crimes! (please note the sarcasm) And why do certain crimes have to be designated "hate" anyway? Crime is crime and I hope these punks go away for a long time on measure 11 sentencing guidelines.
"Granny Glock"
(email verified)
Sun, Jun 15, 2008 at 11:23 AM