Pennsylvania: Latino hate crime trial ends with 'not guilty' verdict

This release comes from our allies at MALDEF about the racially motivated brutal beating death of 25-year-old Luis Ramirez.

JUSTICE NOT SERVED: PENNSYLVANIA HATE CRIME ASSAILANTS FOUND NOT GUILTY

Latino hate crime trial ends with 'not guilty' verdict

POTTSVILLE, PA – A jury in Schuylkill County found the two defendants, Brandon Piekarsky and Derrick Donchak, accused of beating 25-year-old Luis Ramirez to death, not guilty.

“Tonight there is no justice in Shenandoah, Pennsylvania. The jury's conclusion is an outrage. Luis Ramirez was brutally murdered. Witnesses testified that it was racially motivated as a result of hate and intolerance. In the week when Congress passed the Hate Crimes Act, this verdict underscores the importance of the passage of this Act. It is time for the Department of Justice to step in and bring justice to the Ramirez family and send a strong message that violence targeting immigrants will not be tolerated and will be prosecuted to the full extent of the law,” stated Henry Solano, MALDEF interim president and general counsel.

In July 2008, Ramirez lost his life after he was knocked unconscious and kicked in the head by a group of Shenandoah teenagers who yelled racial epithets before and during the brutal beating. Witnesses overheard anti-Mexican and ethnic epithets shouted by his assailants. At trial one of the witnesses testified that one of Ramirez’s friends tried to stop the beating but one of the assailants said, “Tell your Mexican friends to get out of town, or you’ll be laying next to him.” Ramirez leaves behind his fiancée and their two young children.

Brandon Piekarsky was charged with third-degree murder and Derrick Donchak was charged with aggravated assault. Both were charged with ethnic intimidation.

“Luis’s death reflects a steady increase of hate crimes targeting Latinos. Since 2002, the FBI has documented a 40 percent increase in hate crimes committed against Latinos,” said Gladys Limón, MALDEF staff attorney. “This drastic rise of hate crimes against Latinos must be addressed by the new Administration and Congress.”

Earlier this week, the U.S. House of Representatives took a historic step forward and passed H.R. 1913, “Local Law Enforcement Hate Crime Prevention Act” by a vote of 249 to 175. The bill strengthens existing federal hate crime laws by authorizing the Department of Justice to assist local authorities in investigating and prosecuting certain bias-motivated crimes. MALDEF urges the Senate to act quickly and pass the bill.

MALDEF will continue to work with the Ramirez family and the U.S. Department of Justice to ensure that the actions of the defendants and the death of Luis Ramirez is fully investigate as a hate crime.

Founded in 1968, MALDEF, the nation’s leading Latino legal civil rights organization, promotes and protects the rights of Latinos through litigation, advocacy, community education and outreach, leadership development, and higher education scholarships. For more information on MALDEF, please visit: www.maldef.org.

Posted in: Hate Crimes,Luis Ramirez,MALDEF,Pennsylvania,Pottsville