Witness to Md. beating praised for trying to help

[Shana A]

Witness to Md. beating praised for trying to help

(AP) – 5 hours ago

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5im1WtzNpLWmbmwFPvT0LroPnT02w?docId=f50c032fae4b4a51b22db3af5ca3f97d

ROSEDALE, Md. (AP) — A witness who tried to help a transgender woman who was being beaten at a McDonald's in Maryland said she was overwhelmed by the response from people who have praised her for intervening.

Vicky Thoms was embraced by strangers at a rally Monday night outside the McDonald's in Baltimore County where the assault took place.

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2nd Victim Details McDonald's Beating
Bail Denied For Woman Accused In Incident

POSTED: 4:37 pm EDT April 25, 2011
UPDATED: 8:41 am EDT April 26, 2011

http://www.wbaltv.com/r/27665011/detail.html

"I think it's terrible. I think it's inhumane," said 55-year-old Vicki Thoms, who tried to break up the assault. "When they started really hurting her, to the point where I thought she was going to die, that's when I decided someone needed to do something."

[...]

"The one employee there -- I think it was the manager -- said to me, 'You do know that's not a woman. That's a transvestite.' And I said, 'So? She's human,'" Thoms said.

[Natasha]

Bail Denied For Woman Accused In Incident

http://www.wbaltv.com/r/27665011/detail.html
4/26/11

BALTIMORE -- Bail was denied Monday for the woman accused of brutally beating a transgender woman inside a Baltimore County McDonald's restaurant last week, and the woman who tried to help break up the assault is telling her side of the story.

[Ann Onymous]

expect to see a writ filed if there is not a bond set within two weeks...even persons accused of capital murder are eligible for bond in most instances.  Bail (or its absence thereof) is not intended to be a punitive measure. 

[V M]

Vicky Thoms is awesome IMO... It took guts to step up like that

[spacial]

expect to see a writ filed if there is not a bond set within two weeks...even persons accused of capital murder are eligible for bond in most instances.  Bail (or its absence thereof) is not intended to be a punitive measure.

There are similar regulations here. But generally, if there is believed to be any risk that the accused won't turn up for trial, then bail is refused.

Is that not the case in the States?

[Cindy]

I 'love' the managers comment.

Same as : There not human they are Jews.

I'd happily destroy him.

Cindy

[V M]

Squawk!!! There are two threads going here! So, that's not confusing 

Anyone that would grant bail to a thug like Ms. Teonna Monae Brown has got to be full of stuff and that mgr. is an ->-bleeped-<-... Business good or bad starts at the management level

[Ann Onymous]

Bail is an inherent right.  And it becomes difficult for a group to claim that THEY need protections in order to ensure their Constitutional liberties while at the same time clamoring to deny a defendant the right to bail.   

There is nothing that has been offered to suggest that the defendant would not appear for trial AND even if there are concerns about that, it is a consideration that the court can take into account in establishing the amount.  Bail amounts are a balancing act in that the amount is expected to be sufficient to ensure the defendant appears at trial while at the same time not being so oppressive so as to be punitive. 

As guiding principles in setting the bond amount, courts will often look to the following factors (I've borrowed from a very recent appellate case involving a person who was accused of assaulting a peace officer):

more specific factors to be taken into consideration when determining reasonable bail: (1) the length of the sentence; (2) the nature of the offense; (3) work history; (4) family and community ties; (5) length of residency; (6) ability to make the bond; (7) criminal history; (8) conformity with previous bond conditions; (9) existence of other outstanding bonds; and (10) aggravating factors involved in the offense.