megasuperdouchebags supreme

By now you've probably heard about the six deformities who kidnapped a woman in West Virginia. I read today's story on it because I had noticed a headline last night saying something about no hate crime charges. Sure enough, the prosecutor is not bringing hate crime charges against the six (arguably there could be gender as well as race in there - I'm sure they called her gender slurs during the ordeal). Below is a list of names of the six, who are currently being held on $100,000 bail each after being charged with the list of crimes next to their names. When I first saw that there was any bail, I was pretty pissed. But today I realized with people like this, $100,000 bail equivalent to no bail. Hell, they probably have more teeth among them than dollars.

I doubt anyone's going to post bond for them since (according to this news item) over the last 16 years, police have filed 108 criminal charges against the six which included first degree murder, domestic assault, brandishing a deadly weapon. One of them, Bobby Brewster, apparently had been charged in assault on Ms. Williams in July. Still, in a time when bail is based as much on the prosecutor's perception of the severity of the crime, it seems like this is a bit light.

So...there's talk of racism. Clearly there's the big undeniable, horrific racist and sexist crimes themselves. But I notice the racism and sexism of the institutions which should have been able to prevent this from happening. These people were in and out of the legal system for the better part of two decades, sometimes for quite serious crimes. The first degree murder charge came down to manslaughter. The woman charged served five years. Talk about a slap on the wrist. Moreover, according to the news item I read today, one of the six assailants (Bobby Brewster) assaulted this woman in July - but there was no court date set.

Here's the list of charges and charged, followed by a bit of the news item.
Bobby Brewster, 24 - charged with kidnapping, sexual assault, malicious wounding and assault during the commission of a felony
Frankie Brewster, 49 - charged with kidnapping, sexual assault, malicious wounding and giving false information during a felony investigation
Danny J. Combs, 20 - charged with sexual assault and malicious wounding
Karen Burton, 46 - charged with malicious wounding, battery and assault during the commission of a felony
Alisha Burton, 23 - charged with assault during the commission of a felony and battery
George A. Messer, 27 - charged with assault during the commission of a felony and battery

Neighbors: Torture suspects were trouble
By Shaya Tayefe Mohajer, Associated Press Writer
September 13, 2007
....
Authorities say they held a 20-year-old black woman for about a week at their mobile home, where she was tortured, sexually assaulted and forced to eat rat droppings.

Megan Williams' captors, who were white, choked her with a cable cord, stabbed her in the leg while calling her a racial slur, poured hot water over her, made her drink from a toilet and beat her, according to criminal complaints.

State authorities said Wednesday they would not to pursue hate crime charges because the other charges the suspects face carry stiffer penalties. But federal civil rights violations remain an option, U.S. Attorney Charles T. Miller said.