Woman pleads guilty in videotaped beating
Court Alerts
A woman whose beating of a transgender woman at a McDonald's restaurant near Baltimore was captured on videotape has pleaded guilty to the attack.
Baltimore County State's Attorney Scott Shellenberger says 19-year-old Teonna Brown pleaded guilty Thursday to one count of first-degree assault and one count of a hate crime.
Video of Brown's beating of 22-year-old Chrissy Polis went viral online, drawing national attention to the struggles of transgender people. Democratic Gov. Martin O'Malley pledged to seek greater protections for transgender people.
Brown's sentencing is set for next month. Prosecutors say they plan to seek a prison term of five years.
Shellenberger says a girl charged as a juvenile in the same attack acknowledged her role in juvenile court on July 1 and was committed to a detention facility.
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Is Now the Time to Really Call a Special Education Lawyer?
IDEA, FAPE, CHILD FIND and IEPs: The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) guarantees all children with disabilities to a free appropriate public education (FAPE). FAPE starts with a school’s responsibility to identify that a child has a disability (Child Find) and create an Individualized Education Program (IEP) to suit the needs of the child.
Forte Law Group is one of only a very few law firms within the state of Connecticut that is dedicated to exclusively representing families and children with special needs.
Parents need to be persistent, dedicated and above all else aware of the many services and accommodations that their child is entitled to under the law. As early as this point within your child’s special education, many parents will often find themselves in the situation asking, “is now the time to really call a special education lawyer?” Here are a few things to consider when asking yourself that question.