Four young men (above) charged with battery under Florida’s hate crimes enhancement claimed they acted in self-defense when they assaulted two gay men during a South Beach Pride celebration in April 2018. The judge didn’t buy it. From the Miami Herald:
Circuit Judge Ariana Fajardo Orshan declined to dismiss the battery charges against Juan Carlos Lopez and three others who’d been charged in the high-profile attack in April 2018. The four were charged with battery under Florida’s “hate-crime” enhancement.
The decision concluded a three-day hearing in which the four men sought immunity under Florida’s Stand Your Ground self-defense law.
The controversial Florida law, passed in 2005, gave judges greater leeway to dismiss charges, and eliminated a citizen’s duty to retreat before using force to counter a threat.
Prosecutors say the incident began when Lopez attacked the couple after one of the men accidentally brushed his arm coming out of the bathroom. Related: Miami Beach Gay Bashers Surrender To Police Here’s surveillance video of the incident back in April 2018.
Harrowing video shows a group of men allegedly beating two gay men during the Miami Beach Gay Pride Parade. Police are searching for the suspects. https://t.co/iCZnWSIFvT pic.twitter.com/Iw9nPK1QPf
— ABC News (@ABC) April 10, 2018
Gay couple says they were just holding hands when they were attacked on Miami Beach during Pride. @MiamiBeachPD looking for 4 suspects. @nbc6 pic.twitter.com/lCSMXP7GRf
— Jamie Guirola (@jamieNBC6) April 10, 2018
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