Atlanta police will not be investigating the fight this week at New Schools of Carver as a hate crime. Elizabeth...
One Saturday afternoon in February 2012, Brandon White was hungry, so the 20-year-old walked into a corner store in the...
The FBI released their annual Hate Crimes Statistics report today showing that one in five hate crimes committed in the...
Two young men convicted in Fulton Superior Court in the anti-gay beating of Brandon White last year pleaded guilty to federal hate crime charges today in U.S. District Court. This case is the first in Georgia to charge a violation of the sexual orientation section of the federal hate crimes law.
Christopher Cain and Dorian Moragne, both of Atlanta, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge J. Owen Forrester.
“Violence against another person because of his or her sexual orientation has no place in our civilized society,” said United States Attorney Sally Quillian Yates in a prepared statement. “The citizens of this district should know that we are committed to aggressively prosecuting hate crimes.”
Whether it was the threat of the end of the world or just plain old fashioned holiday spirit — or most likely political timing — the month of December brought Atlanta officials together in a cornucopia of outspoken support for LGBT equality.
First, on Dec. 3, the Atlanta City Council passed a resolution 11-2 stating its support for same-sex marriage. The resolution was introduced by Alex Wan, the only openly gay council member, after months of discussion with his colleagues about the difference between civil unions and marriage equality.
Wan, who represents District 6, said he pushed for the resolution because it was “the right thing to do.”
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The LGBTQ organization Southerners on New Ground, signers of a letter to the judge asking no more jail time be served by the young men who attacked Brandon White, issued a statement July 18 on its website explaining the motivation for doing so.
The letter was given to Fulton Superior Court Judge T. Jackson Bedford before the sentencing hearing held July 12-13. The letter was also read aloud in court. The attack took place in southwest Atlanta on Feb. 4. The assailants can be heard shouting, "No faggots in Jack City" as the three young men pummeled White as he tried to escape.
The three defendants — Christopher Cain, 18; Dorian Moragne, 19; and Darael Williams, 17 — were sentenced to five years in prison and five years probation by Fulton Superior Court Judge T. Jackson Bedford on July 13.
Three young men who beat a gay man in southwest Atlanta while shouting “faggot” at him were sentenced July 13 to serve five years in prison with another five years on probation.
Fulton Superior Court T. Jackson Bedford sentenced Christopher Cain, 18; Dorian Moragne, 19; and Darael Williams, 17, as several loved ones of the defendants audibly cried in court. All men were already on probation for other crimes.
Another defendant, Javaris Bradford, has eluded police and a warrant is out for his arrest. FBI officials say Bradford is the one who videotaped the Feb. 4 attack that was uploaded to a hip hop website and went viral, making the beating a national story. He faces the same charges as the other three defendants: participation in criminal gang activity, robbery by force and two counts of aggravated assault.
Letter to the Editor:
In my 17 years of practicing law I have NEVER seen a case take the twists and turns that Brandon White's case has taken. What started with the senseless attack of a young gay male, ended with the politicizing of the sentencing of his attackers. Every day young black men are sentenced to prison by Judges in Fulton County. Will these respected members of the LGBT community be in court next week advocating that those young black men not be sentenced to prison?
Three young men who beat a gay man in southwest Atlanta six months ago were sentenced to serve five years in prison with another five years on probation.
Fulton Superior Court T. Jackson Bedford sentenced Christopher Cain, 18; Dorian Moragne, 19; and Darael Williams, 17, as several loved ones of the defendants audibly cried in court. All men were already on probation for other crimes.
The Fulton DA's office had asked for 15 years for all men with Moragne to serve 10 and Cain and Williams to serve eight. The men all pleaded guilty to the brutal beating of Brandon White, 20, on Feb. 4, as he exited a convenience store in the Pittsburgh community.
"You all are the ultimate bullies," Bedford told the young men before handing down the sentence. "You didn't like the way [Brandon White] looked, dressed or conducted himself and that's nothing but being bullies."