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An update on the previous post, Trans-panic Defense Alive And Well In Palm Beach.
A 17 year old Florida teen was found guilty of a second-degree felony of aggravated battery when he assaulted a 39 year old transwoman. Further details of the beating were learned when one of the police officers testified.
From the Palm Beach Post:
“Palm Beach police Sgt. Jennifer Sandman, who interviewed the teen on the morning of the incident, testified at Monday’s trial in juvenile court that he seemed arrogant and told her he beat the transsexual until his hand was sore.
He said he left to look for his cellphone in his friend’s car, then returned to beat the 39-year-old again, Sandman said.”
Another witness that was on the beach that night testified that:
“that the teen forced her to kneel in the sand while he punched her and slammed her head into a lifeguard stand where he was sitting. The impact shook the stand, he said.”
While the judge did find him guilty he said he didn’t believe this was a hate crime.
“The teen did not seem to beat the victim because of sexual orientation, but because of his anger and desire for retribution.”
‘Your anger, from your perspective and from many other people’s perspective, may be justifiable anger,” Blanc said. “But the act that you committed in that anger cannot be justified under our existing system of laws.’
and added:
“In many ways it appears from the testimony that was presented here that there are two victims in the case.”
Two victims? I’m glad the judge ruled appropriately, but his comments after the fact seem to indicate sympathy for the accused.
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Marti Abernathey is the founder of the Transadvocate and the previous managing editor. Abernathey has worn many different hats, including that of podcaster, activist, and radiologic technologist. She's been a part of various internet radio ventures such as TSR Live!, The T-Party, and The Radical Trannies, TransFM, and Sodium Pentathol Sunday. As an advocate she's previously been involved with the Indiana Transgender Rights Advocacy Alliance, Rock Indiana Campaign for Equality, and the National Transgender Advocacy Coalition. She's taken vital roles as a grass roots community organizer in The Indianapolis Tax Day Protest (2003), The Indy Pride HRC Protest (2004), Transgender Day of Remembrance (2004), Indiana's Witch Hunt (2005), and the Rally At The Statehouse (the largest ever GLBT protest in Indiana - 3/2005). In 2008 she was a delegate from Indiana to the Democratic National Convention and a member of Barack Obama's LGBT Steering and Policy Committee. Abernathey currently hosts the Youtube Channel "The T-Party with Marti Abernathey."
