Posted on 09/05/2020 1:17:31 PM PDT by Libloather
Jacob Blake, the Black man whose shooting by a white police officer has sparked nationwide protests, appeared in court on Friday to plead not guilty to three prior charges.
Blake, 29, made his appearance via Zoom from his hospital bed, where he has been recovering. The court hearing marked his first public appearance since the Aug. 23 shooting, which left him paralyzed below the waist.
The criminal complaint, which was filed prior to the shooting, accuses Blake of third-degree sexual assault, a felony charge, as well as criminal trespass and disorderly conduct, both misdemeanors, according to CNN and ABC News. The charges stem from an alleged assault in May.
If convicted of the felony sexual assault charge, Blake could face up to 10 years in prison and a $25,000 fine.
Blake’s lawyer, Patrick Cafferty, entered not guilty pleas for all three charges.
Speaking to the court, Blake waived his right to a preliminary hearing and stipulated that he understood the charges being made against him. Blake also confirmed that he understood the terms of his $10,000 bail, Reuters reported.
“The state recognizes that these are serious charges but also that the defendant has serious injuries and he’s recovering at the hospital,” prosecutor Zeke Wiedenfeld said during the hearing, according to the outlet.
A pretrial conference had been scheduled for Oct. 21, with jury selection beginning on Nov. 9.
(Excerpt) Read more at msn.com ...
Rodney King was not charged with anything after the beating incident...
This case...I guess the DA could not drop charges against Blake...They are more serious charges...
Who knows? Maybe the charges may be dismissed in the future because witnesses may refuse to testify...They may not want to testify after Blake got shot...
After the beating, cops were reluctant to deal with Rodney King...Rodney King did not stop misbehaving...
The rape was digital penetration. Being paralyzed from the waist down won’t prevent him from recidivism.
I think they are going for the sympathy vote on the rape charge.
Racist writing and/or editing.
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