Three people are facing assault charges in a case with serious racial overtones. All three have entered not guilty pleas and the case is set for a December 11th trial according to the Baltimore Sun.
Twenty eight year old Calvin E. Lockner, 16 year old Emmanuel Miller, and 17 year old Zachary Watson all face charges in adult criminal court. The charges against them include 1st degree assault and carjacking. If convicted, the sentences could be enhanced under Maryland’s hate crime laws.
Last month, the trio was arrested on suspicion of beating elderly James A, Privott, a black man, who was fishing at Fort Armistead Park. During the beating the three shouted racial slurs and the prosecution believes this crime would have never happened had the victim been a white man.
This earlier report from ABC News reveals that the attack cost 76 year old Privott two teeth and a possible broken eye socket. He was treated at the University of Maryland Shock Trauma Center. The weapon of choice used in the attack was a baseball bat.
Lockner is a known white supremacist, with racist tattoos and a nickname of Adolph Hitler. He has spent time in prison after a 2000 conviction on a sex offense.
The two juveniles do not, as of yet, have any adult criminal records, and their attorneys argue the boys were not involved and did not know of Lockner’s intention to beat Privott.
Assault charges are very serious and these are made even more serious because they appear to have been committed based on the skin color of the victim. There are special laws on the books that apply to hate crimes, potentially increasing the penalty because of the racially motivated nature of the offense.
A typical 1st degree assault charge carries a maximum potential penalty of 25 years. These men, if convicted, could serve more.
If you are facing assault charges it may not resemble this case at all. Perhaps you got into it with a companion or got stuck in the middle of a bar fight. Whatever the case, I want to help. Contact me immediately to discuss the situation that led to your charges.
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