Tuesday, March 6, 2007
Anti-gay hate crime trial to start in Denton
Email
|
Print
|
Tell us your story
|
Comments (2)
|
Denton County resident George Clifton Young, 26, will face trial next week on charges he allegedly assaulted a gay man in a bias crime.
Chris McKee, also a Denton resident, told police he was followed and assaulted on Dec. 3, 2005, by two men after he left a popular Fry Street hangout near the University of North Texas. He identified one of the men and reported him to police 10 days later after observing him on the street.
George Clifton Young
The case was originally dismissed by the Denton County District Attorney’s Office on Oct. 21, two days before the originally scheduled trial, because McKee’s name was misspelled on a court document.
A group of gay rights protesters held a rally on the steps of the Denton County Courthouse the day of the cancelled trial. The case was refiled, but there was no plans to try it as a hate crime.
McKee said at the time he was concerned that the district attorney’s office was not committed to prosecuting Young.
But District Attorney Paul Johnson, who took office on Jan. 1, announced several days after he was sworn in that he would be prosecuting the case as a hate crime.
Pete Webb, president of the Dallas Gay and Lesbian Alliance, said he plans to attend the trial.
McKee said he is hopeful that several of the people who protested with him at the Courthouse will also attend.
“This could be a precedent event,” McKee said.
The jury trial will be held in County Criminal Court No. 2 on March 8 at 10 a.m.
Pegasus News content partner - Dallas Voice, the community newspaper for gay & lesbian Dallas.
See more stories in:
Find...
Today
The Civil War Through the Eyes of North Texans Head on over to the Old Red Courthouse to catch this exhibit of North Texas-related Civil War memorabilia, including weaponry, correspondence, voting records and soldiers' personal effects. More info
Blogs
- Facebook: Fort Worth does not exist
Square Pegs - iPhone mania tease
Square Pegs - Let’s be careful out there, patriots
Square Pegs
Latest comments
- florencia on Hip Hop Dance Class: hay i am florencia i wanted to know how much your hip hop classes in mckinney are? ill apreciate it ...
- Tracy Yost on Gay bar owners concerned about possible smoking ban: Slaves farmed vegetables too but I still eat them. WTF?...
- Scott Doyle on Gay bar owners concerned about possible smoking ban: Tracy, there were many a slave who farmed that tobacco and look where we’re at today. Dead horse. De...
- mrsh on Facebook: Fort Worth does not exist: that stinks. i have a facebook act and i’m in irving. They have Irving listed, I can’t believe they ...
Latest reviews
- dkholden on Maya Mexican Kitchen & Tequila Bar: The food is very good and beautifully presented. Some of the items that were originally on the menu ...
- Mike Orren on Kitchen 1924: Always delish, and the service is always attentive and genuinely friendly (as opposed to the forced ...
- stevew52 on Cyclone Anaya's Mexican Kitchen: This place is a MUST if you like Tex-Mex! Every visit has been worth talking about because everythin...
Comments
Mike Orren Staff
More from Glenna Whitley at the Observer:
http://www.dallasobserver.com/blogs/?...
1 year, 3 months ago ( Link to this comment | Suggest removal )
Lisa Lawrence Merritt Verified
I know Cliff Young. He was found "not guilty". I think PN should post this.
Follow up stories are always a good thing.
:) LLM
1 year, 3 months ago ( Link to this comment | Suggest removal )
Post a comment
(Requires free PegasusNews.com account.)