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3 teens in Mass. bullying-suicide appear in court
3 teens in Mass. bullying-suicide appear in court
By STEPHANIE REITZ Associated Press Writer The Associated Press
Thursday, September 23, 2010 2:38 PM EDT
HADLEY, Mass. (AP) — Prosecutors say they will call up to 50 witnesses in their case against three girls accused of bullying a classmate so relentlessly that she committed suicide.
Ashley Longe, Sharon Chanon Velazquez and Flannery Mullins, all from South Hadley, appeared with their attorneys Thursday in Franklin-Hampshire Juvenile Court. Their cases are expected to go to trial in early 2011.
The three are among a group of six teenagers charged earlier this year with bullying Phoebe Prince, a 15-year-old South Hadley High School freshman who hanged herself in January.
Their attorneys said Thursday they will file motions by Nov. 1 asking a judge to toss out the grand jury's indictments based on insufficient evidence. The lawyers also opposed prosecutors' request to have the first of the trials in December, saying they had volumes of information to review as they prepared their defense.
Judge Daniel Swords rejected the idea of starting the trials in December, but encouraged the attorneys to submit their motions and other paperwork quickly.
"Let's get them filed. Let's get them heard. Let's move this case along," he said.
Longe, Velazquez and Mullins were each 16 when they were charged as youthful offenders with violation of civil rights resulting in bodily injury. Mullins and Velazquez also are charged with stalking. All three have pleaded not guilty.
Prosecutors say some of their witnesses are now in college and will be called back to the area to testify.
The teens and their attorneys did not comment after Thursday's court hearing, other than a brief statement by attorney Colin Keefe to reaffirm Velazquez's innocence.
Prince's aunt also attended the proceedings, but declined to comment.
Prince, who had recently emigrated from Ireland, hanged herself in January after what prosecutors call a relentless campaign of bullying by the other students.
According to prosecutors, Mullins, Velazquez and Longe were angry over Prince's brief relationship with Austin Renaud, Mullins' on-and-off boyfriend.
Renaud and another teen, Sean Mulveyhill, face statutory rape charges for allegedly having sexual contact with Prince. They have pleaded not guilty.
Mulveyhill and his ex-girlfriend, Kayla Narey, also face the same civil rights charge levied against Longe, Velazquez and Mullins.
The cases against Narey, Mulveyhill and Renaud are being handled in Hampshire Superior Court, where all have pleaded not guilty. Prosecutors say they are expected to go to trial after the three younger teens.
Longe is charged with yelling crude comments, such as "Irish *****" and "stupid ****," at Prince in the school library a few hours before her suicide. Longe also threw an aluminum can at Prince and yelled insults again as the freshman walked home that afternoon, authorities said in court records.
The court records accuse Mullins of threatening to beat up Prince, cornering her in a school bathroom, repeatedly calling her an "Irish ****" and posting demeaning comments about her on Facebook.
Velazquez was described by prosecutors as showing "a pattern of assaultive conduct" that included crude insults and threats of violence, including one for which she served a one-day school suspension.
In addition to the charges they face in public juvenile court proceedings, prosecutors said Longe, Mullins and Velazquez also face separate delinquency cases that list the same alleged offenses plus criminal harassment charges. Longe also is charged under delinquency statutes with assault, according to court records and prosecutors.
Prosecutors plan to ask the judge in November to let them argue the delinquency charges at the same time as the other charges.
Had the teens been charged only under delinquency laws and not as youthful offenders, their identities would have been confidential.
Copyright 2010 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Original Article can be found at:
http://www.charter.net/news/read.php?id=16570221&ps=1011&cat=&cps=0&lang=en
© 2010 Charter. All Rights Reserved
By STEPHANIE REITZ Associated Press Writer The Associated Press
Thursday, September 23, 2010 2:38 PM EDT
HADLEY, Mass. (AP) — Prosecutors say they will call up to 50 witnesses in their case against three girls accused of bullying a classmate so relentlessly that she committed suicide.
Ashley Longe, Sharon Chanon Velazquez and Flannery Mullins, all from South Hadley, appeared with their attorneys Thursday in Franklin-Hampshire Juvenile Court. Their cases are expected to go to trial in early 2011.
The three are among a group of six teenagers charged earlier this year with bullying Phoebe Prince, a 15-year-old South Hadley High School freshman who hanged herself in January.
Their attorneys said Thursday they will file motions by Nov. 1 asking a judge to toss out the grand jury's indictments based on insufficient evidence. The lawyers also opposed prosecutors' request to have the first of the trials in December, saying they had volumes of information to review as they prepared their defense.
Judge Daniel Swords rejected the idea of starting the trials in December, but encouraged the attorneys to submit their motions and other paperwork quickly.
"Let's get them filed. Let's get them heard. Let's move this case along," he said.
Longe, Velazquez and Mullins were each 16 when they were charged as youthful offenders with violation of civil rights resulting in bodily injury. Mullins and Velazquez also are charged with stalking. All three have pleaded not guilty.
Prosecutors say some of their witnesses are now in college and will be called back to the area to testify.
The teens and their attorneys did not comment after Thursday's court hearing, other than a brief statement by attorney Colin Keefe to reaffirm Velazquez's innocence.
Prince's aunt also attended the proceedings, but declined to comment.
Prince, who had recently emigrated from Ireland, hanged herself in January after what prosecutors call a relentless campaign of bullying by the other students.
According to prosecutors, Mullins, Velazquez and Longe were angry over Prince's brief relationship with Austin Renaud, Mullins' on-and-off boyfriend.
Renaud and another teen, Sean Mulveyhill, face statutory rape charges for allegedly having sexual contact with Prince. They have pleaded not guilty.
Mulveyhill and his ex-girlfriend, Kayla Narey, also face the same civil rights charge levied against Longe, Velazquez and Mullins.
The cases against Narey, Mulveyhill and Renaud are being handled in Hampshire Superior Court, where all have pleaded not guilty. Prosecutors say they are expected to go to trial after the three younger teens.
Longe is charged with yelling crude comments, such as "Irish *****" and "stupid ****," at Prince in the school library a few hours before her suicide. Longe also threw an aluminum can at Prince and yelled insults again as the freshman walked home that afternoon, authorities said in court records.
The court records accuse Mullins of threatening to beat up Prince, cornering her in a school bathroom, repeatedly calling her an "Irish ****" and posting demeaning comments about her on Facebook.
Velazquez was described by prosecutors as showing "a pattern of assaultive conduct" that included crude insults and threats of violence, including one for which she served a one-day school suspension.
In addition to the charges they face in public juvenile court proceedings, prosecutors said Longe, Mullins and Velazquez also face separate delinquency cases that list the same alleged offenses plus criminal harassment charges. Longe also is charged under delinquency statutes with assault, according to court records and prosecutors.
Prosecutors plan to ask the judge in November to let them argue the delinquency charges at the same time as the other charges.
Had the teens been charged only under delinquency laws and not as youthful offenders, their identities would have been confidential.
Copyright 2010 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Original Article can be found at:
http://www.charter.net/news/read.php?id=16570221&ps=1011&cat=&cps=0&lang=en
© 2010 Charter. All Rights Reserved
That's hilarious,I bet he never did it again.
I was so bad, that when my 13 year old son skipped school. (I drove past him walking on the road on my way to work!). I made him and his little friend get in the car and took both of em back to the day care where my 4 year old was just dropped off. I left both of them there. My son until I got off work ,and his friend until his mom was contacted and came to pick him up. It cost me big bucks to do it, but neither of them ever skipped school again! lol
I grounded my children if I found they had said anything unkind to other children,I also made them apologise to the child,too many people today show no empathy with others.
Just on another note I caught my daughter wagging school when she was 16,so I put her in my car took her to school,marched her to the principals office and made her tell him what she had been doing all day.The principal didn't end up punishing her because he said he knew I'd do a better job than he could,so many parents cover up for their children,I tried to make them accountable for everything they did in their lives.
Just on another note I caught my daughter wagging school when she was 16,so I put her in my car took her to school,marched her to the principals office and made her tell him what she had been doing all day.The principal didn't end up punishing her because he said he knew I'd do a better job than he could,so many parents cover up for their children,I tried to make them accountable for everything they did in their lives.
Parents need to reign in their children. When my children were in school, bullying other kids was at the top of the list for corporal punishment. No questions asked. If you bullied someone, you got a arse whoopin. Yes I said a whoopin, with a paddle that had holes in it! I know people think that is cruel, but to me! The above article about this young girl and even what these other young people are facing, is cruel. This kind of behavior starts in early grades and if left go, cause things like the above. Parents need to get a handle on their own.
And people wonder why the father of the girl with cerebral palsy took matters into his own hands on the bus.I hope the judge throws the book at them,maybe it will deter other bullies.
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