Gag Order Issued In Case Of Girls Accused Of 'Animalistic' Beating
Sheriff Says Teens Should Be Tried As Adults
POSTED: Wednesday, April 9, 2008
UPDATED: 9:48 am EDT April 10,
2008
  |
BARTOW, Fla. -- A circuit judge on Wednesday issued a gag order in the case of six teenage girls accused of beating and videotaping a brutal 30-minute attack of a 16-year-old girl to post on the Internet.
PHOTOS: Attack Lasted 30 Minutes
Judge J. Michael McCarthy granted the request filed in a motion by Rusty Franklin, who is representing Zachary Ashley, 17, one of two boys accused of being a lookout for the girls during the alleged attack on Victoria Lindsay, a Mulberry High School cheerleader.The judge's order restricts lawyers, court personnel, law enforcement and witnesses from releasing information about the case.The motion said the Polk County Sheriff's Office released a "barrage of inflammatory, prejudicial information" about the case and says that disclosures to the media have created a "substantial likelihood" that Ashley cannot receive a fair trial.Video of the beating was released by the Polk County Sheriff's Office on Monday, and Sheriff Grady Judd has since spoken to the media multiple times, saying that the accused teens should be tried as adults and that they did not take their arrests seriously. Judd said the attack was "animalistic" and the assailants had a “pack mentality.”"Some parents were remorseful. The kids really were not. They were laughing and joking about, (saying), 'I guess we won't get to go to the beach during spring break.' And one, as you said, asked whether she could go to cheerleading practice," Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd said.The beating was in retaliation for the victim saying disparaging things about the girls on her MySpace page, deputies said. The girls planned on posting the video of the beating on YouTube and MySpace, deputies said.Lindsay is still recovering from her injuries.The six girls accused in the attack and Ashley are in juvenile detention. The other alleged lookout, an 18-year-old man, is free on bail.Watch Local 6 News for more on this story.
PHOTOS: Attack Lasted 30 Minutes Judge J. Michael McCarthy granted the request filed in a motion by Rusty Franklin, who is representing Zachary Ashley, 17, one of two boys accused of being a lookout for the girls during the alleged attack on Victoria Lindsay, a Mulberry High School cheerleader.The judge's order restricts lawyers, court personnel, law enforcement and witnesses from releasing information about the case.The motion said the Polk County Sheriff's Office released a "barrage of inflammatory, prejudicial information" about the case and says that disclosures to the media have created a "substantial likelihood" that Ashley cannot receive a fair trial.Video of the beating was released by the Polk County Sheriff's Office on Monday, and Sheriff Grady Judd has since spoken to the media multiple times, saying that the accused teens should be tried as adults and that they did not take their arrests seriously. Judd said the attack was "animalistic" and the assailants had a “pack mentality.”"Some parents were remorseful. The kids really were not. They were laughing and joking about, (saying), 'I guess we won't get to go to the beach during spring break.' And one, as you said, asked whether she could go to cheerleading practice," Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd said.The beating was in retaliation for the victim saying disparaging things about the girls on her MySpace page, deputies said. The girls planned on posting the video of the beating on YouTube and MySpace, deputies said.Lindsay is still recovering from her injuries.The six girls accused in the attack and Ashley are in juvenile detention. The other alleged lookout, an 18-year-old man, is free on bail.Watch Local 6 News for more on this story.
Previous Stories:
Copyright 2008 by Internet Broadcasting Systems and Local6.com.
All rights reserved. This material may
not be published, broadcast, rewritten
or redistributed.
Authorities release a chilling 911 call from a 19-year-old woman who hid in the back bedroom of a Central Florida home while four men attempted to break into the house.
An ex-wife of the man who found the remains of Caylee Anthony says that she thought her ex-husband was responsible for or involved in the girl's death.
Five people are dead after a mobile home fire broke out in Central Florida.
Dashcam video shows a Florida woman offering an officer sex instead of getting a ticket.
A 3-year-old boy was left stranded at a commuter train platform when a door on the train malfunctioned, separating the toddler from his dad. A good Samaritan stayed with the child until the father could return. (Nov. 20)
A woman tired of hearing her son say he lost another sock has come up with an idea to prevent it from happening again.
South Carolina police say an obese man died after not moving from his recliner for the past eight months. Police say the man's body was physically stuck to the chair and firefighters had to cut him out. He died a few hours later at the hospital.
An Oregon appeals court has ruled against an Oregon high school teacher who wants to take her gun to class. She has been battling for years and says she needs the gun for protection. (Nov. 20)
Take a quick look at the flicks headed to your multiplex. Check out the trailer, too.
Thirty Victoria's Secret supermodels take over New York's Times Square this week.
Email Alerts
RSS News Feeds
Mobile
Live Streams
Slideshows
Video
Search
