A student at South Dade Senior High School has been arrested and stands accused of felony assault under the Florida Criminal Code. A cell phone video shows a 16-year-old girl brutally beating Jertearia Walker. Walker's mother is questioning the apparent lack of security presence, which allowed the beating to continue for five minutes. A 24-second cell phone video shows the teenager beating Walker as other students watched and cheered. "They were rolling around the floor and stuff, and security didn't come for five minutes," said a student who witnessed the attack.
Walker's mother met with the school's principal to discuss why there were no adults or security to intervene and protect her daughter. She was not satisfied by the answers she received. "We have 3,360 students at the school and only 11 security, so I asked the principal, at that time, where was your security. And she doesn't know," said Walker's mom.
The school system's superintendent, Alberto Carvalho, said, "[W]e are venturing towards a quasi-legal determination of aggravated battery versus a simple fight." He distinguished the attack from a typical fight on campus where both parties face consequences because this was a "unilateral" attack where one party was obviously "the aggressor." Carvalho indicated one of the students was obviously the aggressor and the other a victim. Records show that the attack also was caught on school surveillance video. Felony assault charges have been filed.
Assault and other forms of violence are a significant problem on Miami area school campuses. School records show 28 assault or battery incidents on the South Dade Campus. "My numbers are accurate," said Chief Charlie Hurley of Miami-Dade Schools Police. "It enables us to be able to decide strategically where to place our officers. How we assign our cops is one function of the data."
Florida criminal defense attorney John Musca commented that he has seen more and more cases involving students in middle school or high school facing charges including assault, battery and weapons charges. These are very serious charges that can have long-term negative consequences for these young people. A skilled criminal defense attorney can help teenagers facing such charges mitigate the long-term impact on their lives.
If you have been arrested and charged with a crime in Florida, contact an experienced Florida criminal defense lawyer, for help with your case. The Florida criminal defense team at Musca Law represents their clients with the most aggressive representation possible. Contact Musca Law for a free comprehensive consultation today.
