Feb 27, 2008 5:33 pm US/Eastern
Attorney In Bus Beating Wants Case Dismissed
BALTIMORE (WJZ) ―
An attorney for one of the teens accused of a beating on an MTA bus in Hampden claims prosecutors discriminated against her client because she's young and African-American.
As Mike Hellgren reports, she now wants the case against the teen dismissed.
Police accused a group of teenagers with the brutal assault of Sarah Kreager as she rode an MTA bus through Hampden late last year. But one of those teens claims Kreager beat her first.
In a copy of the teen's statement obtained by Eyewitness News she says "Kreager punched me" and she felt "her life was in danger."
The State's Attorney's office decided to drop any assault charges against Kreager and instead let the charges against the teen stand.
That is the basis for new arguments in juvenile court by the teen's lawyer, Kimberly Thomas.
She clams the state violated her client's rights to equal protection under the law by never looking into those allegations that Kreager hit her because of her age and race.
In January, Thomas spoke to Eyewitness News about the decision to drop charges.
"They're sticking to their guns, as far as who they believe is the victim in this case as opposed to investigating," Kimberly Thomas, defense attorney said.
The State's Attorney's office has defended the action.
"After being unable to find any credible, corroborating evidence to back up these claims, in the interest of justice, we decided to go ahead and dismiss the charges," said Joe Sviatko with the City State's Attorney's office.
The office also pointed out they're still prosecuting Kreager on an unrelated drug charge. She appeared in court Tuesday, where it was postponed.
A judge in juvenile court will rule Thursday whether the teen's rights were violated and whether the case against her will be dismissed.
That judge rejected arguments Wednesday by lawyers for three of the teens that the way police grouped them together--as Kreager's boyfriend and the bus driver identified them after the attack-- tainted the process and violated their rights.
Their trials could start Thursday.
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