No bond for accused teen

By Charles Keeshan
Posted Wednesday, May 23, 2007
http://www.dailyherald.com/news/mchenrystory.asp?id=315686&cc=k&tc=&t

A 16-year-old Crystal Lake girl facing a felony hate crime charge alleging she and a friend distributed anti-homosexual fliers at her high school must remain locked up until her case goes to trial, a McHenry County judge ruled Tuesday.

Citing concerns over the girl’s home environment and her already lengthy juvenile record, Judge Michael Chmiel denied the girl’s request for home detention. Instead Chmiel ordered her held in the Kane County Juvenile Justice Center while the case is pending.

The girl’s record, Chmiel said, features 13 contacts with police, including an arrest for marijuana possession in August. McHenry County court records show that within the past year the girl also has been charged for driving without a license, consumption of alcohol by a minor, possession of tobacco by a minor, trespassing and three curfew violations.

“I’m concerned about you having some potentially negative influences around you,” Chmiel told her. “I think the environment is ripe for failure.”

The girl’s mother said her daughter had gone through some “rough spots” but had not been a problem in the home for at least a year. She later declined comment on the judge’s decision or the charges.

In part because of Chmiel’s ruling Tuesday, the girl appears to be heading quickly toward a trial, which now is scheduled to begin Tuesday.

She and her 16-year-old friend each face charges of hate crime, disorderly conduct and resisting a peace officer stemming from their arrest May 11 outside Crystal Lake South High School. The charges allege the girls were distributing fliers showing two men kissing and containing inflammatory language toward homosexuals.

Authorities say the fliers were directed specifically toward a male classmate — and neighbor of one of the girls — with whom they had been feuding. Both girls are suspended from school as a result, authorities said Tuesday, and likely will not be allowed back until at least the next school year.

Chmiel agreed Tuesday to place the second girl on home detention. She will be placed on electronic monitoring and allowed to leave only for school, counseling, work or other activities approved by a probation officer.

Unlike her friend, her trial does not appear imminent. Instead her lawyer Tuesday filed a motion asking Chmiel to throw out the hate crime and disorderly conduct charges.

“I believe it more attacks the speech, and at this point, they haven’t shown what conduct was truly disorderly,” said her attorney, Charles McKenney. “The issue should be her conduct, not the content of the flier.”

The girl’s parents declined comment Tuesday. Chmiel scheduled a June 26 hearing on her motion to dismiss the charges.
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OK I'm confused. I thought hate crime was an additional sentencing charge. IE you would be charged with assault and if racially motivated an extra charge was added. It seems here that this girl is being charge with "hate crime" alone.

Disorderly conduct is probably a bullshit charge as well. Its what cops give when they got nothing.

If this girl committed any crime it would possibly be 'harrassment.' But that would mean that the male they suppossedly harrassed would have to press charges.

All and all this is bullshit.

Well, they were basically making a personal attack on someone based on their supposed sexual orientation. The girl has an already lengthy criminal record and needs to be locked up for a while, perhaps it will do her some good.

Most of her 'lengthy criminal record' seems to consist of things like smoking a cigarette and breaking curfew. This sounds like a pc judge punishing a teenager for acting in ways he doesn't like.

This case has some potential. Wonder how far it will go before the judge gets slapped down?

Most of her 'lengthy criminal record' seems to consist of things like smoking a cigarette and breaking curfew. This sounds like a pc judge punishing a teenager for acting in ways he doesn't like.

The girl’s record, Chmiel said, features 13 contacts with police, including an arrest for marijuana possession in August. McHenry County court records show that within the past year the girl also has been charged for driving without a license, consumption of alcohol by a minor, possession of tobacco by a minor, trespassing and three curfew violations.

Thats a little more serious than "smoking a cigarette and breaking curfew." You can't go around in school passing out negative fliers about homosexuals, and singling out one person. I don't think there is really a case here seriously.

what exactly did he flyers say? I mean there is a difference from anti-gay and promoting hating gays and I thought this bill did not pass in the house or something because the christain preachers wanted to continue to preach hate against gays.

Most of her 'lengthy criminal record' seems to consist of things like smoking a cigarette and breaking curfew. This sounds like a pc judge punishing a teenager for acting in ways he doesn't like.


Yes the judge is an activist judge and is pushing the gay agenda in the courts.:rolleyes:

It's not a really big deal that she did all of that but who knows how she managed to get caught every single time. She must be dumb as rocks.

edit: I would've thrown her ass in juvie as well, driving without a license/handing out flyers is beyond just dumb.

I am going to put this here because it is about free speech but for another subject.
There is a pediphilia website called www.puellula.com
In this site the man claims to be a pediphile but he doesn't ever say he molest little girl but does express his love for them. I will let you read his contents. Many people are making a petition to shut this website down but he isn't really breaking any laws by expressing his feelings about girls.
Do you think he has the right to free speech? I refused to sign the petition and people say I supported pediphilia which I do not. I do not support the KKK or Black Panther Militia but I think they have the right to protest in the streets and have websites expressing themselves.'

Well, there's a difference between hating another group, and promoting violence against another group. I don't know what the posters said, so I cannot comment on that. however, if the posters merely said, "God hates gays. Gays are evil. Enjoy your sodomy with the Devil" and other idiotic sayings, there is nothing legally wrong with that. Same with the pedophile dude. he can like little girls all he wants. It's sick, but thought is no crime.

It's B.S. to charge her with a crime unless her flyers were advocating violence. OTOH, it'd be perfectly legit to toss her out of school. Schools aren't free speech zones, generally speaking.

I've looked in a few places posting this story and no where does it say what exacly the fliers said, which seems to be a big point for everyone. So i will reserve judgement on the girls actions THIS time. However, she is 16 years old and had 13 incidents with the police already. Not exactly a model citizen is she. Someone needs to step in and teach her what happens, REALLY happens when you break the law so many times. Maybe then she can learn a lesson and move on before her crimes get any bigger.

Tobacco posession is a BS charge, maybe her parents gave her permission to smoke. Mine did. Driving without a license and 3 curfew violations does not really show much respect for the law. Even still I don't consider them major crimes. the driving without a license is worse than the curfew violation. personally I don't like curfews, I think they infringe on the right to freely go where you want when you want. If i'm 15 and want to take a walk around the block because I can't sleep at 1:00 am who has the right to tell me I can't? Teach these kids some respect for other people and their property and you won't need them.

Who, in general, gets more prison time?

1) A defendant at Nuremburg
2) A drug offender in California

Who, in general, gets more prison time?

1) A defendant at Nuremburg
2) A drug offender in California


That depends on which has the most money, and/or name recognition.

That depends on which has the most money, and/or name recognition.


....and if they went to court before the death of Johnny Cochrane.

Well, it doesn't look like she broke the law, but she is a bitch that deserves some a little juvy.