Teonna Monae Brown, 19, was charged with the April 18 Baltimore McDonald’s beating of transgender woman Chrissy Lee Polis, 22, and will now serve the sentence of five years in prison for the crime. The incident attracted national attention after the video was posted on YouTube by a McDonald’s employee who recorded the incident but did nothing to stop the crime.
In the recorded video, the teen, along with another 14-year-old female, is seen beating the transgender woman in the body and head, dragging her across the restaurant after she used the women’s restroom.
“I continue to suffer seizures, bouts of crying, mental anguish and anxiety,” Polis said in a statement. “I fear being alone. I have flashbacks about the attacks. I have twice now been admitted to a crisis center, and I am having extreme mental difficulty.”
Brown’s sentence produced 10 years for each of the charges standing against her, but Baltimore County Circuit Court Judge John Turnbull III suspended five years on both counts, allowing Brown to serve the remaining 5 year sentence concurrently. Brown will also stand on a three-year probation after her release from prison.
The 14-year-old, whose name has not been released, has admitted responsibility to the same charge of hate crime and first degree assault. Her sentence was undisclosed, but she was sent to a juvenile facility for an unknown period of time.
“We’re very happy with the sentence today,” Baltimore County State’s Attorney Scott D. Shellenberger told the Blade in wake of the sentence. “We had an 18-year-old defendant [now 19] with no prior criminal convictions who’s going to jail for five years,” he said. “We think that reflects the severity of the beating and we think it sends a very good signal that you can’t commit these kinds of crimes in Baltimore County.”
Polis did not attend Brown’s sentencing because she is still suffering from diagnosed post traumatic stress disorder in wake of the beating.
While I applaud that the perpetrators in this case have been brought to account, I am not convinced a sentence of incarceration is constructive in this sort of instance. To my way of thinking, making them atone for their crimes by having them go out into the community, to schools and even prisons, to promote the need for tolerance, for acceptance of difference. Such measures are likely to be more beneficial not only to their personal understanding of what they have done so badly wrong, it would also be beneficial to society as a whole.
Then what would of been the sentence for King & Spalding lawyer RAYMOND E. BALTZ JR. FOR VIOLATING THE CIVIL RIGHTS OF A U.S. LAW ABIDING GAY CROSSDRESSER??? What kind of lawyer BLOCKS ME; a GAY CROSSDRESSER, from WALKING ON THE PUBLIC SIDEWALK IN A PUBLIC PARK?? And when threatened to being reported, Mr. Baltz quips “It would be your word against ours (Buckhead Baseball) & who would believe YOURS?” Without even knowing a DAMN thing about me, this Atlanta King & Spalding lawyer VIOLATED MY CIVIL RITHTS TO WALK ON A PUBLIC SIDEWALK, IN A CITY OF ATLANTA PUBLIC PARK!!!!! I DEMAND JUSTICE!!! If the people will lead, THE LEADERS WILL FOLLOW! Ray Baltz Jr. did a HATE CRIME unto ME! Why is ATLANTA’S Fulton County Govt. ALLOWING IT TO CONTINUE????? And why is Coca-Cola Enterprices a “proud major sponsor” of that ALL WHITE HOMOPHOBIC HATE GROUP??? Coke talks “diversity” ,BUT THEY SURE IN HELL DON’T PRACTICE IT! Had i only known that Ray Baltz Jr. was a lawyer at the time, I WOULD HAVE HAD HIM ARRESTED & PRESSED CHARGES!