Friday
Aug282009
Walker verdict: Guilty, 11, 3 NGs
Friday, August 28, 2009 at 5:25PM The Blogmother 
His verdicts read, deputies remove Walker.C.B. Hanif for WAOD:
Sentencing for Nathan Walker is set for October 13.
He is the third of four then-teenagers charged in the incomprehensible gang-rape and assault on a mother and son two years ago in her Dunbar Village apartment in West Palm Beach.
For their senseless actions, Walker and co-defendant Tommy Poindexter each face life sentences on each count on which he was convicted.
Just two hours earlier Poindexter was found guilty on 8 of 13 identical charges.
Walker's additional charge of grand theft auto, on which he was found guilty, was eliminated for Poindexter after no evidence was presented that Poindexter rode in the victim's vehicle after the attack.
Also facing a life sentence is 16-year-old Avion Lawson, who pleaded guilty and testified for the state in hope of a lesser sentence.
The trial for another participant, Jakaris Taylor, is set for next month.
That leaves questions regarding the status of up to 10 others the mother alleged participated in the attack.
Not yet charged are two whom Lawson during his testimony named as participants, Melvin Young and Gus Fontaine.
In his closing argument, Robert Gershman, Walker's attorney, belittled law officials' statements that their investigation is ongoing. He questioned why with all their forensic evidence that was still the case after two years.
Gershman speaks to reporters outside the courtroom.Unlike for the Poindexter verdict, the courtoom was relatively empty of spectators for Walker's.
Outside, showers were rolling in.
Poindexter and family members had exchanged verbal and mouthed "I love you's" as he was led away by deputies.
Walker, surrounded by deputies, was alone except for his attorney as he was handcuffed and taken from the courtroom.
The attorneys for both sides would say little except to confirm that appeals are automatic in such cases.
(Previous posts have been updated with more photos.)
Meanwhile, after the trial...
...just a few miles away...
...sunset...
...over Dunbar Village.
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21 Comments | Share Article tagged Dunbar Village, Lawson, Poindexter, Walker, West Palm Beach in Dunbar Village Trial
Dunbar Village, Lawson, Poindexter, Walker, West Palm Beach in Dunbar Village Trial
Reader Comments (21)
Again, yees!
Heard anything new about the trials of Michelle Riley and the other killers in the Dorothy Dixon case
Whew!
Eleven out of 14, huh? Oh well, as long as he gets life in prison, no possibility of parole, like gem2001 said, I can live with that.
This is all still so very sad! Dammit!
oops, I apologize, I'm mathematically challenged. Poindexter got 8 Gs and 5 NGs and Walker got 11 Gs and 3 NGs; I thought is was a total of 14 charges each. Did I miss something? Please explain. Thanks.
Thank you, Gina. Please leave up the ChipIn widget. I get paid Monday, and I want to contribute.
I have been lamenting the death of journalism for some time now. Fox's right spin versus MSNBC's left spin. It's gotten so that you can't trust any news source. It has been AMAZING to have access to real, worthwhile news and I can't thank you enough for the sense of empowerment.
Black "so called" leaders have so many hidden and not so hidden agendas. Plus, their first concern always seems to be to make sure that money keeps coming their way.
Thank you, Thank you, Thank you!!! Seriously, I could almost cry. I watched our community weep with joy as Obama was elected to the presidency and felt so guilty as I wondered...will we be disappointed if he turns out to be just another good politician? Or, will we even know how things turn out. We can't trust any news source.
Truly, we don't need politicians, the mainstream media, or big organizations. We just need to become a more engaged citizenry "by any means necessary."
@ Yme and @ Sis. Gina, ditto what Yme said; I get paid next Friday. (Sorry, just started working again.)
:)
@whitefanofgina
Ironically Michell Reilly and Judy Woods go on trial the same day as the sentencing in the Dunbar Village case. October 13, 2009 at 9;00 am.
I want to do the same thing because Dorothy Dixon's case is getting NO attention at all. .. for the same reasons.
I hope y'all realize that had it not been for Gina there's a strong possibility that these people would never have made it to trial. When those morons from the NAACP stepped out in favor of the defendants, more than likely the prosecutor would have simply caved in. I would imagine that their mindset is, hey if black folks don't mind having degenerates in their community, no sweat off our backs. By letting them know unequivocably that this would not stand, we in some small way took back the night. Now we have to keep on keeping on.
That's a good point, Roslyn. I often wonder why the "bad" sides of town are often attached to black people. There are definitely poor white people. It's just they know that nonsense is a non starter in predominately white neighborhoods. Not to mention, public housing is allowed to become cesspools for degenerates.
It's not that public housing is a bad thing. It's just that as long as its "over there", no one cares what goes on and the harborers of rapists and thieves allow these people to live in close proximity to poor people who find themselves unable (financially) to leave.
Lets also remember the fear poor people are forced to live making them afraid to even anonomously call police when a crime is taking place. Where were all those 'concerned' citizens when this 2 hour crime was taking place.
The leaders in the poor, black communities ( I call them poverty pimps) seem to want to maintain the povertyt status quo so that they can keep their jobs. The petty endeavors they do never amounts to real change. I think housing projects are an anacronysim of the slavery and jim crow past. These are not ideal places forcing people to live like rats in a cage. That is inhumane! tear them down and replace them. Let some families live in single family homes built by habitat for humanity. Trust me there are more of these crimes to play out across the nation. Today we saw the easy part with these verdicts but now the hard part continues...
peace
Whew! Thank God!
@Roslyn: That's an excellent point.
@Gina: THANK YOU for all that you do here!
Peace, blessings and solidarity.
Thank you Gina for your tireless efforts on behalf of BW and children.
Yes Roslyn,
We all must keep on keeping on. There is strength in numbers willing to ACT and at times "ACT UP" for the greater good. Numbers willing to tell the unvarnished TRUTH even when it's painful.
Peace everyone and take care.
i hate that it's from Jezebel, but (not surprisingly) I haven't been able to find this subject online anymore (http://jezebel.com/5262506/study-childhood-sexual-abuse-may-cause-earlier-periods). Anyways, this is somewhat related in the "projects"-talk, etc. We absolutely MUST open up conversations about sexual abuse in our community. I suspect that as black people we don't like to give any more "ammunition" to criticize us so many are hesitant to address this in their homes, let alone publicly (like eating disorders, we say it's a white people problem). But, we gotta get over it! Abuse is abuse and does not discriminate. THAT SAID, I agree with others, what happens to you does not exonerate you from culpability and I'm glad these horrible people will be punished. I bring up this other stuff because I'm concerned that the NAACP public "embrace" of these men has something to do with this desire to hide the "family business" and, if this is the case, we need to seriously address this and say what's not OK in our communities large and small. We are black and we are humans, thus nuanced, complicated, beautiful and ugly. We have to be okay to address these ugly things, hold people accountable and enforce that this does not take away from our humanity.
I should add that all this is to say that this is the problem behind embracing black suspects no matter what the crime (Al Sharpton, this is for you). Yes, black people should get equal treatment in the justice system, of course! but was this really the case with which to jump on the bandwagon? Could we discuss sexual violence and save that for the next jailed bunch of black boys (because, we all know, I'm sure there'll be another batch for a lesser offense real soon)?
Hummmm-mmm, I can't believe this all happened in approximately a week's time!
Does anyone know what happens next? How does the appeals process work? Also, the article said Walker's family was not present in the court to hear the verdict. Does anyone know why, especially since Walker's mother gave that interview earlier this week? Will any of them make a statement or allowed to make a statement?
Most importantly, has the mother made a statement? How does she feel about the verdicts? How did her son take it? How are they doing and what, if anything, can be done to support them now? Donations to their church? Donations to the office of victims services?
Does the state of Florida allow victim impact statement at sentencing? Thanks! :)
Hummmm-mmm, I can't believe this all happened in approximately a week's time!
Does anyone know what happens next? How does the appeals process work? Also, the article said Walker's family was not present in the court to hear the verdict. Does anyone know why, especially since Walker's mother gave that interview earlier this week? Will any of them make a statement or allowed to make a statement?
Most importantly, has the mother made a statement? How does she feel about the verdicts? How did her son take it? How are they doing and what, if anything, can be done to support them now? Donations to their church? Donations to the office of victims services?
Does the state of Florida allow victim impact statement at sentencing? Thanks! :)
Does the state of Florida allow victim impact statement at sentencing?
============================
yes they do
"Ironically Michell Reilly and Judy Woods go on trial the same day as the sentencing in the Dunbar Village case. October 13, 2009 at 9;00 am.
I want to do the same thing because Dorothy Dixon’s case is getting NO attention at all. .. for the same reasons."
I hope you can get someone like Hanif to cover that case as well, and a court reporter also.
Thank you Gina and all of the other bloggers who covered this story. I came to WAOD after hearing of the heinous act that took place at Dunbar Village two years. Gina, your tireless effort to get this story out is a true act of faith, love, dedication and commitment and a testimony to what we can do if we just step out on faith. It is my prayer that the others involved will be brought to justice and the victims can go on with their lives with some semblance of normalcy. I thank you and C.B. Hanif for your tireless effort.
Peace and blessings,
kaydub
Wow! Thanks for diligently blogging about this case. As one poster put it there is a difference between being poor and being trash.
Thank you for covering this story! I'm am so glad Walker and Poindexter have received so many guilty verdicts. I hope they truly lock them up and throw away the key! None of those brutes deserve any sympathy.