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The claim that Anthony Foturnato, one of three men on trial for hate crime murder of a gay man, was gay himself was not only strange to most everyone - it was apparently mysterious to the judge as well! Fortunato, Ilya Shurov John Fox, and Michael Timmins had lured Michael Sandy to meet them at a secluded location in Sheepshead Bay, via a gay chatroom, in 2006. Once there, they robbed and beat Sandy, who ran into the Belt Parkway and was hit by a car. Fortunato, Shurov and Fox were charged with murder as a hate crime; Timmins agreed to a plea deal in return for testifying against the others.
According to the NY Times, the judge presiding over the trial, Judge Jill Konviser-Levine, said to Fortunato's lawyer, "I'm still curious as to the relevance of your client's sexuality."
In response, the defense lawyer, Gerald J. Di Chiara, elaborated on his theory that the attack was part of a confused effort to experiment with homosexuality. Mr. Di Chiara had revealed his client’s sexual orientation in his opening statement on Monday.DiChiara had wanted to submit evidence of a suicide attempt, which the judge did not allow, but Judge Konviser-Levine is allowing Fortunato's computer screen names to be introduced. Apparenlty, "Di Chiara said he was not seeking sympathy for his client, but planned to use evidence of his state of mind to prove that he was capable of strange behavior."“If he happens to be gay,” Mr. Di Chiara told the judge yesterday, “I think it’s more likely that he’s not targeting gay people.”
Image of Fortunato from Towleroad, who has been following the Michael Sandy murder
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I guess there are ways to prove if he's gay. They might try some of those in Judge Judy's court.
the strategy of presenting a victimzer as a victim, is a way of taking responsability of his shoulders, like was a kid (!) at the moment of the assault.
Violent dudes are threat to others. PERIOD.
The justice system in this country is a big fucking JOKE!
Certainly a gay person can perpetrate a hate crime against a gay person. The salient fact is that he found his victim on a gay cruising site. It was not random. Self-loathing is no defense.
JEWISH NAZIS!!!!
Nuts. Even if he is Gay, the DA explained that he's being charged based on who he believed his victim was.
Other then whether he did it or not, Isn't his intention what Hate Crime legislation is about?
I was at the trial yesterday. The Judge is actually awesome and the way she is handing the defense attorneys and their melodramatic fits is inspiring. She doesn't appear to be buying the "my client is gay" bs, and if she does, is questioning the relevancy. The ADA is doing a good job with making the defense attorneys look like fools as well. One thing though, suicide evidence was not attempted to be introduced yesterday, and the Judge did not rule on the admission of the screen names. He tried to introduce them with the wrong witness, and she reserved judgement for when he attempted to introduce the screen name with the proper witness. Sorry this is kind of long, but I just wanted to clarify, bc the "press" there yesterday was going in and out during the day. On another note, my heart goes out to Michael Sandy's family, and it would probably be good if the defense attorneys would actually say the victim's name correctly.
he'll have plenty of time to act out his gay fantasies in a federal prison for murder
Very questionable strategy by the defense attorney. He will be traded like currency in prison.
Yes, I do believe the going rate for fine young white boys is TWO packs of Marlboros...hehe
The hate crime statute is still total garbage. A defendant is not "more guilty simply because he targets an individual based on their “race, color, national origin, ancestry, gender, religion, religious practice, age, disability or sexual orientation.” This crime is heinous because it was premeditated, not because it was pre-meditated based on the victim's sexuality. The only way to deter the sort of bias and prejudice the hate crime statute is directed at is to be equally intolerant of all violent crime, regardless the victims.
whether he's gay or not has no relevance. He lured, beat and in the end, murdered someone. Gay against gay crime can be hate crimes as well. There are plenty of blacks who hate other blacks, white who hate other whites and my fave, jews who hate other jews.
if anything, his "bs gay" plea is making it worse for him.
He may not be gay now, but he will be for the next 15 - 20 years in jail!
I'd tap that..
If I was facing 10 years or more of prison...
I'd fuck him, and then make him MINE!!!