Attorney: Hate crime charges to follow guilty pleas in attack on gay man
As two men pleaded guilty Tuesday to beating a gay man outside a southwest Atlanta convenience store earlier this year, the attorney for one of them disclosed his client would be prosecuted under a federal hate crime statute.
The lawyer for Dorian Moragne, one of four men charged in the Feb. 4 videotaped assault, told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution that his client would face a federal charge in the incident..
Moragne, 19, and co-defendant Dareal Demare Williams, 18, accepted non-negotiated plea deals Tuesday in Fulton County Superior Court on charges of aggravated assault, robbery and participation in gang activity. They could face up to 75 years in prison.
Moragne's attorney, Jay Abt, said federal authorities "flew a lawyer down here personally to inform us." Abt previously stated the attack on Brandon White was "not a hate crime."
Georgia does not have a hate-crimes statute, but Fulton County Assistant District Attorney Gabriel Banks said the assault on White was motivated by a perceived sexual advance.
A spokesman for the U.S. Attorney's Office declined to comment on the possibility of federal charges.
Abt said he assumes Moragne's co-defendants -- represented by public defenders -- will also be charged.
A plea deal for Christopher Cain, 19, was delayed because his attorney could not appear in court Tuesday. A fourth suspect, Javaris Bradford, 24, who allegedly taped the beating, remains at large.
White told reporters Tuesday he "feels good" about the latest developments.
"Justice will be served," he said. "It's been a journey. I've been down. Boy, have I been down."
The attack on the slightly built 20-year-old was videotaped and posted online, presumably by the defendants, at least one of whom can be overheard shouting gay slurs. The violent assault mobilized the city's LGBT community, with advocates pointing out that Georgia is one of only five states without a hate crimes law.
“An assault prosecution is not enough in this case," Georgia Equality Deputy Director Melinda Sheldon said in a statement.
"It is important to make a statement to would-be offenders, as well as to the gay and transgender community, and other targeted communities in Georgia, that bias-motivated crimes intended to intimidate and terrorize an entire community will absolutely not be tolerated and will receive maximum punishment," Sheldon said.
According to Abt, Moragne will be charged under the 2009 Matthew Shepard Act, which gives federal authorities jurisdiction to pursue hate crimes prosecutions.
About the Author
A native Atlantan, Boone joined the AJC staff in 2007. He quickly carved out a niche covering crime stories, assuming the public safety beat in 2014. He's covered some of the biggest trials this decade, from Hemy Neuman to Ross Harris to Chip Olsen, the latter of which was featured on Season 7 of the AJC's award-winning "Breakdown" podcast.
