Teen accused in taped Fla. beating pleads guilty

Criminal Law

One of five teenagers accused in the videotaped beating of a Florida girl has accepted a plea deal.

Eighteen-year-old Mercades Nichols pleaded guilty Tuesday to battery and tampering with a witness. The State Attorney's Office said a kidnapping charge was dropped.

Nichols was among a group of teens arrested in 2008 and accused of attacking a 16-year-old classmate. The attack was recorded on video and broadcast around the world.

Nichols also agreed to plead guilty to charges of battery, assault and violation of an injunction in an unrelated case, in which she was accused of stalking a former boyfriend.

Under the plea agreement, Nichols could spend a maximum of three years on probation and won't spend time in jail. She is scheduled be sentenced in March.

Related listings

  • Supreme Court reviews speedy trial issue

    Supreme Court reviews speedy trial issue

    Criminal Law 01/14/2009

    The Supreme Court appeared unlikely Tuesday to favor a broad rule that rewards criminal defendants with dismissal of charges against them because of trial delays by their taxpayer-funded lawyers. The court heard arguments in a case from Vermont in wh...

  • 2 Ill. men accused of running $15M fraud scheme

    2 Ill. men accused of running $15M fraud scheme

    Criminal Law 01/08/2009

    Two men passed themselves off as foreign currency traders to swindle customers out of $15 million, which they used to pay for a lifestyle that included strip clubs, jewelry and private jets, according to a criminal complaint unveiled Wednesday in fed...

  • Santa gunman lost job, wife before gory attack

    Santa gunman lost job, wife before gory attack

    Criminal Law 12/29/2008

    Bruce and Sylvia Pardo started the new year in 2006 with all signs pointing to a bright future — an upcoming marriage, a combined income of about $150,000, half-million-dollar home on a quiet cul-de-sac and a beloved dog, Saki.But things quickly turn...

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.

Business News

St Peters, MO Professional License Attorney Attorney John Lynch has been the go-to choice for many professionals facing administrative sanction. >> read