San Franciscans Richard Aicardi and Brian Dwyer, both 19, face charges in the New Year's Eve beating of a group of singers from Yale. If convicted, the accused face as much as four years in prison.
Posted on 03/06/2007 8:05:20 AM PST by SmithL
Two 19-year-old San Francisco men are expected to surrender today to face charges in the beatings of members of a Yale singing group in what prosecutors called "a group attack on innocent victims."
Richard Aicardi and Brian Dwyer were charged Monday with felony assault and battery in the incident that began with a dispute at a New Year's Eve party in San Francisco honoring the a cappella group the Baker's Dozen.
The charges were filed after a two-month police investigation. Prosecutors have been reviewing police findings for the last two weeks.
District Attorney Kamala Harris called the crime "cowardly" in a written statement and later described it as "essentially a group attack on innocent victims."
Aicardi and Dwyer are charged with assaulting singers Evan Gogel and William Bailey early Jan. 1 with the potential for serious bodily injury. Gogel was left with a concussion. Bailey was punched but not seriously injured.
No one has been charged in the beating of singer Sharyar Aziz Jr., who suffered a broken jaw.
The two defendants, along with several others who have not been identified by authorities, allegedly kicked Gogel multiple times while he was defenseless on the ground. Aicardi allegedly punched Bailey in the face as Bailey sought to avoid the fray.
Aicardi has been charged with two counts of felony assault and one of felony battery, while Dwyer -- who authorities say admitted kicking one of the victims -- was charged with one count of assault and one count of battery.
Dwyer's bail was set at $80,000 and Aicardi's at $120,000.
If convicted, the accused face as much as four years in prison on the assault and three more for inflicting great bodily injury in the attack.
(Excerpt) Read more at sfgate.com ...
Hate crime
-it took long enough.
I figured their names would be "Neal" and "Bob." Or is that just what they do?
If jail time is handed down, they just might.
San Francisco's homosexual lobby will certainly be calling for hate crime charges. The accused are children of prominent San Franciscans (and some US Marines) who are reported to have used anti-gay remarks against the Yale singers.
As many as THREE of the attackers were members of the MARINE CORPS???? HUH??? This never came out two months ago/ And what is completely missing here, unless I missed it, is what someone unearthed when this story broke, that Aicardi was the son of someone politically connected in local SF Politics, notably DEM politics, hence the "go-easy" approach and the sluggish pace of the indictment, and the sickening possibility that this would all be handled privately, and out of the public eye, so as not to besmirch the reps of Mommy and Daddy.I don't see how Marines could have been involved with this, since, at least the initial way this story was spun, the REASON for the attack was that the singers were doing patriotic songs/ so the attack was characterized as a kind of Lefty-Thug attack on the War in Iraq, etc// Interesting to see how this plays out, if we are allowed to see it at all.
Well, hate crimes do exist, and this type of hate, whether perpetrated by Marines or not, should be prosecuted. FINALLY we seem to be provided with a LEGITIMATE hate crime scenario. Strange bedfellows indeed, prominent SF politicos, obviously DEM, who are to be protected from the violent acts of their (obviously aberrantly RIGHTWING ) children. They will spin it like a top to their advantage.
And this is a GOOD example and good justification for hate crime charges.
I beg to differ. Maybe your memory is better than mine, but this was originally reported as "typical San Francisco values" on the rampage... the Yalies having supposedly been attacked for singing the "Star Spangled Banner."
Honestly, I don't have the time to mine back through the archives here, but I'd think you'd find a lot of speculation about this, based on that earlier, incorrect, belief.
this never came out two months ago - it was reported here locally that there were Marines involved. Reports also indicated the Yale singers were not singing the National Anthem using the standard format.
It was an assault, that is crime enough, without having to deal with the thoughts behind it.
At one time, they were blaming Marines. What happened with that?
So what are you "differing" with? If you are responding to post 8, that is EXACTLY what I said the original story was leaning toward, and how it was presented. As it turns out, it is something a bit different.My post 9 also complicates things, once I read some more details about the case.
She went on to say: "They're in the choir, couldn't you see they were wussies?!"
Connecticut ping!
Sorry I'm several days' behind in my pings. I was at CPAC from Feb 27 through Mar 4, and the internet connection didn't work in my hotel room.
Please Freepmail me if you want on or off my infrequent Connecticut ping list.
They look like a couple of fa...oh, never mind. I don't want to go to therapy.
Just say they look like a couple of John Edwards.
"Johnnies"
Many political, and non political groups and spokespersons have ascribed many reasons for the attack. I know one of the families involved, and this was not a Homophobic or Anti American assault, it was a plain old ordinary group of smart ass teenage college students who were jealous of the attention the Yale guys were getting from girls they knew and were interested in (and who were probably out of their league). In an alcohol fueled frenzy they lashed out. The group they tried to engage in a fight with was not interested in participating in an old fashioned brawl which further incensed the drunks, who then proceeded to show what big men they were by trying to beat the crap out of the Yale guys.
Extremely stupid and loutish, but not homophobic or Anti American. I'm sure the kids are apolitical, are not skin heads, and use the term faggot as a diss, not a homophobic slur! I couldn't even tell you the parents political affiliation (they are probably liberal) but they are not really politically connected, more community connected. The are quite philanthropic, and are big donators of time and money to many organizations, mostly youth oriented.
I would hate to think that having kids who do stupid (in this case VERY stupid) means a parent is completely unfit, and a morally reprehensible human being, deserving of the scorn that has been heaped upon these people. They are kind, caring, andloving human beings who are mortified by what the kids have done. Many of us can identify with having our kids being stupid while young. Most of them don't get caught up in this type of life altering situation, but, there but for the grace of God..........
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