U.S. Attorney drops charge in Georgetown gay bashing

[canis_lupus]

From The Washington Blade:

The United States Attorney’s office on April 17 dropped an assault charge against a Georgetown University student who had been accused by D.C. police of physically attacking a fellow Georgetown student last fall while shouting anti-gay epithets at him.

Police on Sept. 27 charged Philip Anderton Cooney, then a 19-year-old Georgetown sophomore and the son of a former White House official, with simple assault, a misdemeanor, in connection with a Sept. 9 gay bashing incident that took place less than two blocks from the main entrance to the campus.

The U.S. Attorney’s office later upgraded the charge to a “bias related” assault motivated by animus toward the victim’s perceived sexual orientation. But the office changed its mind and withdrew that designation several weeks before dropping the charge last week, according to sources familiar with the case.

“After further investigation of this matter, we concluded that there was insufficient evidence to obtain a conviction beyond a reasonable doubt,” said Channing Phillips, a spokesperson for the U.S. Attorney’s office.

http://www.washblade.com/2008/4-25/news/localnews/12461.cfm

[barbtries]

1. "the son of a former White House official,"

you can do anything you want, son.

bastards. i hope the victim brings a civil suit and takes him and his WH official parent to the cleaners.

[Toasterlad]

2. Why Do I Get the Feeling....

...the words "son of a former White House official" have more to do with the charges being dropped than "insufficient evidence"?

[terrya]

4. Bingo. n/t

[mitchtv]

3. Justice will be served

eventually Karma must rule