PHILADELPHIA: Decision On Gay-Bashing Trio Plea Deal Expected By Next Month

It was a year ago last week that a mob brutally attacked a gay couple in Philadelphia and we may finally see a resolution in the case next month. Philadelphia Gay News reports:

At a proceeding Thursday morning, defendants Phillip Williams, Kevin Harrigan and Kathryn Knott were rescheduled for another pre-trial bring back Oct. 15. Prosecutor Mike Barry told PGN that this will be the last bring back; the trio will either plead guilty at that proceeding, or the case will head to trial. A potential trial likely wouldn’t be scheduled until early next year, Barry said. None of the defendants was present for Thursday’s proceeding. The District Attorney’s Office offered the three plea deals, the details of which have not been publicly disclosed, at the beginning of the summer. The trio faces aggravated assault, simple assault and conspiracy charges in connection with the Sept. 11, 2014, beating of Andrew Haught and Zachary Hess.

The attackers were identified by a so-called human flesh search engine on Twitter on the day after the attack. Philadelphia has since enacted an LGBT-inclusive hate crimes ordinance which cannot be retroactively applied. Pennsylvania presently has zero state-level LGBT protections in any category. (Tipped by JMG reader Paul)