Edward Thomas Defense Attorneys Attacking Muhlaysia Booker's Femininity

Damn, we Black trans women can't get any respect in life or in death.

The news out of Dallas is that Edward Thomas, the waste of DNA who violently put his hands on the late Muhlaysia Booker back in April, will be going to trial in October for that assault in the 195th District Court of Texas.

Thomas was charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.   Even though Booker was murdered back in May, that video of the April 12 assault is still around on The Net along with all the witnesses to that violent attack on her.

So what do you do when you're faced with mounting evidence that your client attacked a trans woman?  Go for a cynical variation of the 'trans panic' defense and attempt to strip the trans woman of her femininity.

 The transphobic defense attorney in this case are objecting to the fact that prosecutors are asking Judge Hector Garza (D) to rule that the indictment can use Muhlaysia's name even though she hadn't changed it legally or on any identification documents.

The defense attorneys are using her dead name and disrespectfully referring to Muhlaysia as a man

"Pierre Booker is legally a male by gender. To name him 'Muhlaysia' Booker could have the jury wrongfully conclude that Pierre is female...This is prejudicial against our client ,who is male."

The defense attorneys are trying a variation of the trans panic defense to strip Muhlaysia of her femininity.  They hope they can stir up transphobia in the jury pool and get potential jurors to not see Booker as the woman she is.

It also feeds this dangerous for us and patently false meme that trans women are just 'men in dresses'.

The Edwards defense attorneys also fear that if Booker is seen as the woman she is, it won't go well for their client.   Society usually takes a less charitable view of any man who puts his hands on a woman, and the defense attorneys know that.

It is a despicable legal tactic by the defense attorneys.  Here's hoping that Judge Garza sees the same thing I see and rules in favor of Dallas County prosecutors when the defense motion has a hearing next week.

If he doesn't, I predict that Judge Garza is suddenly going to find himself being primary challenged in March 2020

Arrest Made In Dallas Trans Hate Attack

Gotta love the Dallas Police Department swiftly handling their business and catching one of the perps involved in the Muhlaysia Booker hate attack.

29 year old Edward Thomas was arrested last night by DPD.   They are continuing to canvass the Oak Cliff neighborhood for other participants and witnesses to the hate crime that happened on Friday.

Meanwhile Booker is recovering at home from her injuries suffered in the attack.   She was knocked unconscious during the assault and was dragged to safety by several cis women.

Muhlaysia's father Peirre Booker spoke to a local Dallas television station about how upset and angry he was about what happened to his daughter.





Here's hoping that the Dallas Police Department not only finds all of the wastes of DNA involved, but the Dallas County DA prosecutes them to the fullest extent of the law to send a message that violence aimed at trans people will not be tolerated.

Moni's Investiture Speech For Judge Bill McLeod

The text of the speech speech I'm delivering for Judge Bill McLeod's investiture today.

To Judge McLeod, distinguished judges, friends and guests in attendance.  

Happy Blue Year to all of you!  

It is a sincere honor and pleasure to have been asked to say a few words at this investiture ceremony today,  While I have attended a few of these investiture ceremonies in the past and will be attending quite a few more during the rest of this month and into February, this is the first time I have gotten to participate  in one of these beyond just being in supportive attendance of the judge being sworn in.

One of our local sheroes in Barbara Jordan once said,“What the people want is simple.  They want an America as good as its promise.

Substitute the words ‘Harris County’ for America, and you have the reason why we are sitting in this ceremonial courtroom today.  

We are sitting here because of the historic change that Harris County voters enabled on November 6 with their votes.   We are sitting here because Harris County voters wanted a county as go as its promise, and wanted its leadership to reflect the beautiful diversity of all 5 million of us who are please to call this part of southeast Texas home.  .

As part of the yearning to have leadership that reflected the diversity of this community, it’s why on November 6  we elected a diverse slate of talented servant leaders with decades of experience practicing law to serve on our Harris County judicial benches.

The Rev Dr Martin Luther King Jr said that, "Law and order exist for the purpose of establishing justice and when they fail in this purpose they become the dangerously structured dams that block the flow of social progress."

Judges play an important role in our system of government because they are the umpires who call the legal balls and strikes and ensure that justice is impartially served regardless of race, creed, color, gender identity or economic status.  

And having known Judge McLeod personally for several years, I he is a caring, compassionate and loving person.  He is a wonderful community leader with a keen legal mind. I have no doubts that he will bring his full self into the task of ensuring justice is  served and fairly administered for all who appear before him.
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Congratulations, your Honor.  May you have a long and successful term serving the citizens of Harris County on the County Court at Law Number 4 bench.   

Final Ruling Issued In Houston Drag Queen Story Time Federal Case

The final ruling was issued yesterday in the Houston Drag Queen Story Time case, and the hatemongers lost

Chief District Judge Lee H. Rosenthal issued he final ruling yesterday swatting away the evilgelicals attempt to shut down the event  in a case that was filed back in October.

Rosenthal granted the city of Houston's request to terminate the case, stating the court didn't have jurisdiction because the plaintiffs didn't have standing to sue, and the plaintiffs had failed to establish that the freedom of religion clause had been violated by the storytellers.

The haters contended that program where drag queens read books at the Montrose library violated the freedom of religion of library patrons.

Yeah, right.

They argued in court documents that drag queens and transgender storytellers would 'indoctrinate children to believe in another religion', which the suit identifies as Secular Humanism. The activists believe the storytellers would 'groom children at the event to become transgender.'
Excuse me for a moment while I double over in laughter at that last delusional sentence in that paragraph.

The Houston Public Library in a previous court filing, explained their rationale for hosting the Drag Queen Story Time events

“Throughout their history, American public libraries have been on the front lines of promoting inclusivity and dispelling intolerance. The Houston Public Library is committed to celebrating the diverse and culturally rich communities here in Houston through a broad array of programs and resources we offer. All our programs are free, open to the public, and accessible by choice,” the legal filing stated.

The fake faith based haters plan to appeal   They tried to spin their crushing legal defeat as 'happiness the case is out of Judge Rosenthal's hands'.   Judge Rosenthal was appointed by President George HW Bush.

Mayor Turner and the HPL declined comment concerning the ruling.

Strawberry Hampton Finally Moved To Illinois Women's Prison

Some good news as we close out 2018 on the trans rights front

27 year old Deon 'Strawberry' Hampton has been transitioning since she was 5 years old.   She is unfortunately doing a 10 year sentence in Illinois for burglary that she started serving in 2015.

But no prison sentence should include sexual and physical assault, transphobic harassment from prisoners and guards and incarceration in a men's prison if you are a trans feminine person. That is a violation of the 8th Amendment prohibitions against cruel and unusual punishment

Hampton has been in four different men's prisons in Illinois, and has according to court filings suffered violent sexual and physical assault and emotional abuse at four different prisons.

At Pinckneyville Correctional Facility, she alleges guards sexually assaulted her, then forced her to have sex with her cellmate for their entertainment.   That incident led to a suicide attempt.

In December 2017 The MacArthur Justice Center and the Uptown People's Law Center filed the first of several lawsuits on her behalf seeking a court order to stop the abuse being aimed at Hampton.

She has finally had her request granted to be moved from Dixon Correctional Center, a men's prison in Dixon, IL, to the Logan Correctional Center, a women's prison in Lincoln, IL

The Illinois Department of Corrections initially denied Hampton’s transfer request. 

In November  US District Court Judge Nancy Rosenstengel ordered the Illinois Department of Corrections to re-evaluate its denial of Hampton’s request for transfer to a women’s prison.
The judge also ordered they develop training on transgender issues for all staff.

If you're wondering what POTUS appointed Judge Rosenstengel to the federal bench, she was appointed by President Barack Obama. 

Despite the positive ruling in Strawberry's favor, the MacArthur Justice Center said that the Illinois Department of Corrections still hasn't done enough to remedy the systemic failures that lead to the abuse of transgender inmates. 

The transphobic hatred being put in the atmosphere by the Republican Party, conservafool media and evilgelicals isn't helping either.

Kansas Trans People Suing State For Right To Change Birth Certificates

Kansas is one of three states  (Ohio and Tennessee are the other two) that obstinately refuse to allow trans people born there  to change their birth certificates under any circumstances. 

It's BS, so four Kansas trans residents filed a federal lawsuit on October 15 to change that unjust policy.   I was happy to discover but not surprised to find out that two of the four people suing are my Kansas based BTAC fam in Luc Bensimon and Nyla Foster

The lawsuit argues that the Kansas policy violates the due process and equal protection clauses of the Constitution.   It's also arguing that the policy violates the plaintiff's free speech rights.

The other plaintiffs in the suit are a transperson person identified as C.K., Jessica Hicklin, and the Kansas Statewide Education project (K-STEP)

The defendants are Jeff Anderson, secretary of the Kansas Department of Health and Environment; Elizabeth W. Saadi, the Kansas state registrar; and Kay Haug, director of the state’s vital statistics office, a unit of the Kansas Department of Health and Environment.
Bensimon said the state's unjust policy made it easier for people to discriminate against him, “on top of the discrimination I already confront based on my disability.”

“I’m here to seek justice,” said Nyla Foster, a transgender woman and one of the plaintiffs. “My birth certificate does not reflect the gender I identify as, and I’m here to correct it so I can move forward with my life.”|

At a press conference in front of the federal courthouse in Kansas City, Kansas, Lambda legal attorney Omar Gonzalez-Pagan explained why it was challenging the state's transphobic documentation stance.

"A birth certificate is more than a piece of paper.It's the quintessential identity document that follows a person from birth to death.  It must reflect a person's identity."

Gonzales-Pagan also pointed out that birth certificates can determine access to education, employment, healthcare, travel and impact the ability to obtain other identity documents.

Good luck to you in overturning this unjust policy.  Thanks Lambda Legal for having our backs again.

Say Hello To Judge Tracey Nadzieja

Here's some wonderful news coming out of Arizona.

On October 12 Tracey Nadzieja was sworn in as a commissioner in the Maricopa County Superior Court.   That made her the first trans judge in the state of Arizona and only the third ever in the United States.

In case you're wondering who the other two are, they are Phyllis Frye here in Houston and Vicky Kolakowski in California.

“That’s the weird thing about doing this. Yes, I’m the first, and that’s a story,” Nadzieja said in an interview. “But on the other hand, what I had basically hoped going into this job is that people won’t see that part of the story. That the whole transgender part of the story will ultimately become an absolute non-issue. That people will just see me as somebody who is competent, fair, dedicated and just like anybody else.”

Still, Nadzieja becoming a judge is a tremendous point of pride to the Arizona trans community.   She is also ascending to a judicial bench at a time when the trans community is under assault from the Trump misadministration. 

Congratulations to Judge Nadzieja!

US Border Patrol Agent Serial Killer Victims Includes A Latina Trans Woman

You are probably been aware of the story coming out of the Lone Star State over the weekend concerning a Laredo area supervisory Border Patrol agent who is accused of being a serial killer that targeted sex workers.

35 year old Juan David Ortiz, a ten year veteran of the Border Patrol, has been arrested and charged with the first degree murder of four women. Ortiz  has also been charged with unlawful restraint with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon in Erika Pena according to Webb County DA Isidro R. 'Chilo Alaniz.

Ortiz has also confessed to the murders of the four women , and is in jail on a $2.5 million bond.

Pena was talking to him inside his white four door Dodge truck when the conversation turned to discussing Ramirez, who had disappeared a week earlier and was her friend. 

Ortiz's mood changed, and he subsequently pulled a gun on Pena, pointed it at her and tried to grab her shirt to prevent her escape from the vehicle.  Pena took off her shirt and ran to a nearby gas station where she encountered a DPS state trooper.  Pena gave a detailed description of Ortiz including his tattoos to law enforcement officials, which triggered the manhunt for him that led to his arrest.   

Ortiz was found at another gas station in Laredo, and fled on foot to a nearby Ramada Inn where he was found hiding in the bed of a pickup truck in the parking lot of the motel. 

DA Alaniz has called Ortiz a serial killer.   Webb County officials aren't dismissing the possibility there may be more victims.   Ortiz committed a string of murders of women between September 3 and September 15 of women who were presumed to be sex workers. 

The body of 29 year old Melissa Ramirez was found lying on Jefferies Road near TX state highway 255 with multiple gunshot wounds to the head on September 4 in northwest Webb County. 

She was the first of Ortiz's victims, and he admitted to killing the mother of two on September 3

The second victim, 42 year old Claudine Anne Luera, was found shot multiple times in the head and left mortally wounded along TX state highway 255 two miles from where Ramirez's body was discovered.   She was taken to a local hospital where she later succumbed to her injuries.

The last two victims were killed after Pena escaped from Ortiz's truck but before he was finally apprehended bylaw enforcement.   One is a still as yet unidentified Jane Doe whose body was found at the Webb Road underpass of I-35 near mile marker 21.   Her name will be released once next of kin are notified.

The other is 28 year old Nikki Janelle Enriquez.  She is the trans woman who was initially deadnamed and misgendered by law enforcement officials and local media until it was corrected.

She was killed around September 14-15 according to authorities and her body was also found along I-35 at mile marker 15.

Enriquez sadly becomes the 21st trans person to be murdered in the US, the third Latina and the second one in Texas in 2018

Shooter Of Detroit Trans Woman Arrested

I like many of you was horrified and pissed off about the video of one of our trans sisters fighting for her life in a Detroit gas station

29 year old Deonton Rogers was arrested last Saturday for the July 23 incident and charged by the Wayne County Prosecutor's Office according to Detroit Police Chief James Craig. 

The list of charges include a firearm discharge causing serious injury, felonious assault, felony firearm, felon in possession of a firearm, child abuse in the fourth degree and ethnic intimidation based on gender.

Bail for Rogers was set at $2 million



The incident took place at a gas station in the 15400 block of West Seven Mile Road after a verbal confrontation between Rogers and the still unidentified 29 year old trans woman.   Rogers pulled out a gun, a struggle ensued for it and after the trans woman suffered a thankfully non fatal gunshot wound to her shoulder, fled the scene with his 27 year old cis feminine companions child in the backseat of his car. 

Rogers was taken into custody without incident. 

Here's hoping that he is not only punished for his crime, but it also starts a conversation in the Black community about the toxic masculinity that is killing Black trans women and our gender variant kids.

Keisha Wells Case Update

We have an update in the Keisha Wells murder case in Cleveland.

Wells was found dead in an apartment building  parking lot at 7 AM EDT from a gunshot wound to the abdomen back on June 24.   She had gone to a local bar called Cocktails that evening in Cleveland's Cudell neighborhood.

Eleven shell casings along with a leopard print shoe, a wig and a sweatshirt were also recovered at the scene. 

The person arrested was 27 year old James Butler, a homeless man who helped the shooter move Wells' body from his car, dump it after she was killed and clean the shooter's car.   Butler subsequently told his mother about the crime, and Butler's mother called Cleveland PD to report it.

Butler has been charged with complicity with aggravated murder, and an arrest warrant was issued for him on June 27. 

They are still looking for the shooter in the Wells case, and hopefully once Butler is in police custody, he can give CPD the info they need that will result to the capture and prosecution of the shooter who killed Keisha Wells.. 

Justice For Dandara!

You may recall the vicious February 15 beating and murder last year of 42 year old Brazilian trans woman Dandara dos Santos by several wastes of DNA men that was captured on video. 

2017 also happened to be the deadliest year on record for TBLGQ murders in Brazil.

Dandara was taken out of her home in Fortaleza, stripped, beaten, kicked, stoned and mocked by the killers as she pleaded for her life.  She had transphobic and homophobic slurs hurled at her before she was thrown into a wheelbarrow and carted off. to be shot to death.

The brutal videotaped murder sent shockwaves around the world and outraged the Brazilian and global trans community.  The video also lead to the identification and arrest of the mob of  men  who killed her. .

Justice was finally served in that case as five of the eight participants in this heinous crime received a combined 83 years in jail .

Francisco Jose Monteiro de Oliveira, Jr. who shot dos Santos, was given 21 years in prison.   Jean Victor Silva Oliveira, who attacked her with a wooden board, received a 16 year prison sentence.

Rafael Alves da Silva Paiva, who was filed repeatedly kicking Dandara, was also sentenced to 16 years in jail along with Francisco Gabriel dos Reis.   Isaias da Silva Camurca was sentenced to 14 years and 6 months for his part in the attack on our trans sister, beating her with flip flops.

Jean Oliveira and Paivi are appealing their sentences on the basis of their actions weren't decisive in causing Dandara's death.

Incredibly all of the men tried make the claim that while they attacked her, they weren't responsible for her death. 

It was a claim that prosecutor Marcus Renan Palacio dismissed by saying to them, "No one killed Dandara?   Was it lightning that fell on her head?  Was it a stone from a building?

Francisco Oliveira after being sentenced tried to apologize to Dandara's relatives, claiming that he'd committed the crime because he was deluded and he'd learned he has to have love in his heart.

You were right about the deluded part.   But the date you needed to have love in your heart was on February 15, 2017, not when your azz is about to do 21 years in prison from murdering another human being.

Justice For Kenne McFadden Rally and March Tuesday

Kenne McFadden was murdered while we were fighting to kill the unjust SB 6 bill.   Her body was found on April 9 by a barge operator on San Antonio's famed River Walk.

Her lifeless body was found floating in the San Antonio River near East Commerce and St Mary's Streets and was the 12th murder of a trans person in 2017.   The alleged killer, 20 year old Mark Daniel Lewis was arrested for McFadden's murder while he was in the Bexar County jail for another crime and indicted by a grand jury in November on manslaughter.

Lewis pushed McFadden, who was intoxicated at the time and a non swimmer, into the San Antonio River and refused to help her as she drowned.

The Bexar County DA Nico LaHood, for some unknown reason reason decided to present this evidence during a probation hearing for Lewis in an attempt to revoke his probation for failing to register as a sex offender.

On March 8, State District Judge Joey Contreras (R) a Gov Greg Abbott appointee to the 187th Criminal District Court ruled that Lewis pushing her into the river didn't rise to the level of criminal conduct.

Unfortunately, the probation hearing became a defacto trial, and once the judge made his ruling, Lewis couldn't be tried for her murder because of double jeopardy laws.

Fortunately for us in the Lone Star State, this is an election year, so Judge Contreras and DA LaHood have to face the voters.

FYI gentlemen, trans people and our allies vote     Judge Contreras is in a GOP runoff for his seat that will take place on May 22.   LaHood has already been punished at the polls.  He went down to defeat in the March 6 Democratic primary after just one controversial term in office.. 

In addition to LaHood having a contentious relationship with the San Antonio press corps, he'd made controversial anti-Islamic comments, stating the loud and wrong claim that vaccines cause autism, and threatened to destroy an attorney's career.

The result in this botched case has incensed the San Antonio trans community, and they are organizing a Justice for Kenne rally and protest on Tuesday.   The groups involved in coordinating the protest are the Trans Education Network of Texas (TENT), the San Antonio Gender Association (SAGA) and the Pride Center San Antonio.

There will be a press conference in front of Bexar County DA Nico LaHood's office at noon Tuesday, wirth the rally and march taking place at Crockett Park starting at 6PM 

And yes, I've been asked to speak at that rally, so see you Alamo City peeps Tuesday.

TransGriot Perv Watch- Kentucky Fried GOP Predator

As of this moment the GOP controlled Kentucky legislature is attempting to pass HB 326 an anti-trans bill once again aimed at school kids

But if they are looking for the real predators, the Kentucky Republican Party needs to look in their own ranks for them because the predators you're looking for are #StillNotTrans

But we have overwhelming evidence of republican Party officials or legislators doing kinky things in public bathrooms or doing the things they screech at others not to do.  .

The latest example of a GOP predator being busted for his crimes is in the state of Kentucky.

71 year old former Campbell County District Judge Timothy Nolan has pleaded guilty to numerous felony charges that included human trafficking of adults, promoting human trafficking of minors and unlawful transaction with minors.

He was indicted on 28 felony counts and two misdemeanor counts, but as part of a plea deal with Atty General Andy Beshear (D) Special Prosecutions Division, Nolan pleaded guilty to 21 counts against 19 victims for crimes that occurred between 2010 and 2017.

One of those crimes was coercing a child under age 18 to engage in commercial sexual activity

Nolan was an enthusiastic voice for the Tea Party on many local issues and a local campaigner for Donald Trump.  Nolan was elected to the Campbell County School Board in 2016

Prosecutors recommended sentences totaling 20 years plus a $100,000 fine   Nolan is being held in the Campbell County Detention center pending sentencing, which is scheduled to occur on March 29.

Ebony Morgan's Killer Found Guilty

Justice has been served in the Ebony Morgan case.

23 year old Kenneth Kelley. Jr pled guilty to second degree murder and using a firearm in the commission of a felony in the July 2 murder of Morgan in Lynchburg, VA. 

Kelley fled the Lynchburg area and headed to Baltimore after fatally shooting Morgan, and was found at his mother's house a few days later.

He accepted a plea deal, and was sentenced to 40 years for the murder and 3 years fo the firearm charge.  23 years of the sentence was suspended by the judge for good behavior. 

According to Lynchburg Commonwealth's Attorney Bethany Harrison, Kelley will be spending the next 20 years in state prison for the crime.

Morgan's mother told a local news station that the sentence gives her some closure and she can sleep at night.

And another on of the people who took one of our sister's lives will be going to jail for it, even if it isn't as long as we as a community would like it to happen.

Arrest Made In Viccky Gutierrez Case

That was fast. 

On January 11 at 8'00 PM PST a joint  LAPD-FBI Fugitive Task Force arrested 29 year old Kevyn Ramirez for the murder of Viccky Gutierrez. 

Her body has yet to be positively identified by the LA County Coroner as of this writing.

Investigators obtained a search warrant, found evidence linking him to the crime scene and arrested Ramirez after admitting to investigators he killed Gutierrez after as dispute.

The case will be presented to the Los Angeles County District Attorney for filing consideration and Ramirez is being held on a $2  million bail .

It is also still an active case, and LAPD investigators are still seeking information that will not only lead to a positive identification of what is believed to be Viccky's body, but also establish a motive for her murder.

If you have that info please call West Bureau Homicide at (213) 382-9470

JonCasey Rowell Convicted In Monica Loera Murder Case

Good news out of Austin! 

After several hours of deliberation by a Travis County jury, JonCasey William Rowell was found GUILTY in the killing of Monica Loera at approximately 4:40 PM CST.

Rowell was charged with first degree murder by APD when he was arrested for the January 22, 2016  killing of Loera at her north Austin home.

After several days of testimony in the trial which started with jury selection last Monday, the Travis County jury hearing the case went into deliberation at noon CST today.

The case was observed by members of the Austin trans and gender non conforming community and friends of Loera.   

They will be in the courtroom tomorrow morning at 9 AM CST when Rowell is sentenced and we hope it will be a punishment that fits the heinous crime.   He is facing 99 years in jail.

Killer Of Monica Loera Facing Trial Today

Monica Loera of Austin was the first of a record 27 trans people murdered in the United States in 2016.   Thanks to a tip from one of my TransGriot readers Lana Hunter, I've been made aware that the person accused of murdering her, JonCasey William Rowell, is about to go on trial for Loera's murder.

Yesterday Rowell was in court as a jury was empaneled in the 299th District Criminal Court in Austin for the trial that starts tomorrow.

Rowell was charged with first degree murder in this case.

Have a few Austin trans community members planning on checking out the proceedings in the trial in the hopes that our sister receives justice in this case.   We'll also be watching to see if the defense attorney for Rowell attempts to use the trans panic defense which sadly is still legal to use in the Lone Star State.

You know I'll be keeping an eye on what transpires in that Travis County courtroom.  I sincerely hope that justice in served on behalf of Monica and all the people who loved her.

Ahh! I Love The Smell Of Indictments In The Morning

Well, the day the Trump Misadministration has been dreading finally happened

The Mueller investigation into the Trump campaign collusion with Russia in last year's election has finally dropped its first indictments, and I couldn't be happier that the prosecution party has started.

Paul Manafort, who was the campaign manager for Trump 2016 has been indicted on 12 counts of conspiracy against the United States. conspiracy to ;launder money, acting as a unregistered against of the Ukrainian government, false and misleading statements, and failure to file reports of foreign an bank accounts.

Paul Gates, Manafort's business partner, was indicted on 8 charges   Of course, Manafort and Gates pleaded not guilty to all the charges they are both facing.

George Papadopoulos, who was a foreign policy advisor to the Trump campaign, in a separate action has pleaded guilty to lying to federal investigators about his meeting s in March and April 2016 with a Russsian agent who promised 'dirt' on Hillary Clinton.

This is probably just the first of many indictments to come in the swamp that is the Trump administration, and I'll be eagerly cheering Robert Mueller III on as he continues his investigation.

Gwen Araujo Murder 15th Anniversary

Today is sadly the 15th anniversary of the day that trans teen Gwen Araujo was murdered in Newark, California by four men, Jason Cazares, Jose Merel, Michael Magidson and Jaron Nabors in the wake of them discovering after she was trans feminine at a party.

The perpetrators then drove four hours to an area in the Sierra Nevada foothills from the East Bay to bury the body, .and said nothing about the crime committed at the party. 

Nabors, after becoming distraught about his role in Araujo's death, confessed to authorities in exchange for his guilty plea to voluntary manslaughter, his testimony against the other three defendants and leading Alameda County Sheriff's Department investigators to the burial site.

It took two trials to convict Merel, Magidson and Cazares, and in the second trial the odious trans panic defense was invoked by Magidson's attorney.

Magidson and Merel were both convicted of second degree murder without the hate crime enhancements and sentenced to 15 year to life in prison.   Two juries deadlocked on Jason Cazares fate, and mistrials were declared.   In a plea deal with the DA, Cazares pleaded no contest to manslaughter and was sentenced to six years in prison.

In the wake of the trial, the Gwen Araujo Justice For Victims Act was passed and signed into law on September 28, 2006 by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger that limited the use of the trans and gay panic defense.

On September 27, 2014, Gov Jerry Brown signed Assembly Bill 2501 into law that banned the trans and gay panic defense outright.

Gwen's story was made into the 2006 Lifetime movie A Girl Like Me :The Gwen Araujo Story, talked about in a 2007 documentary entitled Trained In The Ways Of Men which aimed to debunk the trans panic defense, and on a May 2012 Investigation Discovery episode in the second season entitled 'Murder Among Friends'.

Her mother Sylvia Guerrero posthumously asked a judge legally change Gwen's deadname to Gwen Amber Rose Araujo on June 23, 2004.

Rest in Power and peace Gwen.   Your death wasn't in vain.   Changes were made in california law because it it, and you are still loved and remembered by the local community and all who adored you.

We continue to fight so than no one should die for simply daring to exist.

Two Perps In Amos Beede Murder Facing Justice

Here's the update in the Amos Beede murder case.

Beede was the trans man killed in a Burlington VT homeless camp back in May 2016.   Five people, Erik Averill, Allison Gee, Myia Barber , Jordan Paul and Amber Dennis were arrested and charged with second degree murder for his death.

In March,  26 year old Allison Gee plead guilty to a reduced charge of aggravated assault in exchange for her testimony against the other four co-defendants.   She will serve five year in prison on a 15 year sentence, and be on indefinite probation for the remaining ten years of it.  If she violates probation, she goes back to jail to serve the remaining ten years of her sentence, 

On September 14  a plea deal was reached with 24 year old Myia Barber, who plead guilty to a reduced charge of involuntary manslaughter for her role in Beede's death.   She hasn't been sentenced yet, but is expected to get 10-15 years in prison.

She was set to go to trial later in September.

Two down, three to go.