Dec 18, 2007 6:21 pm US/Eastern
Lawyers: 2 Teens Innocent In Bus Beating
BALTIMORE (WJZ) ―
Lawyers for two of the nine middle school students charged with beating a woman on a city bus say their clients are innocent and are victims of a rush to judgment.
Mike Hellgren talked to the suspects' attorneys in this controversial case.
Sarah Kreager suffered from broken bones and bruises after a brutal beating on an MTA bus.
Nine teens from Robert Poole Middle School have been charged in the attack.
Lawyers representing two of them claim their clients are innocent.
"There's a possibility that we have the wrong people here, and the people who are responsible for this got away," said attorney Quinton Herbert.
For the first time, family members of the accused are speaking out.
"I believe he's telling the truth--that he had nothing to do with it. He'd have no reason to lie to me," said Annette, a guardian and aunt to one of the suspects.
"He proclaimed his innocence, and my brother has never lied to me. I believe that he is innocent," said Patreace, a sister of one of the suspects.
Defense attorneys say there were dozens of children and there's no proof the teens--who are African-American--even touched Kreager, who is white.
MTA police are looking into whether the beating was a hate crime.
"It may have in fact been the alleged victim in this case, Ms. Kreager, who initiated this altercation with these young children who were riding the bus home from school," said attorney Jay Ortis.
The alarming attack has prompted security crackdowns on buses citywide.
"One would only have to look at the photos of her injuries to believe that there was a very horrible crime committed against this young woman," said Margaret Burns, spokesperson for the State's Attorney's Office.
Kreager has been placed in witness protection.
"The state's attorney wants to make sure justice is served for this victim who was savagely beaten," said Burns.
Counsel for the accused claim their clients were held for six hours. They have no idea whether authorities took any formal statements from them.
"When this case goes to trial, it will come down to a fundamental issue of credibility--whose story will the court believe?" said Ortis.
The lawyers are also upset that the mayor denounced the beating.
"Before we destroy the future adolescence of these children, we should be sure that we're not prosecuting the wrong people," said Herbert.
Right now, no more arrests have been made since the initial nine.
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