Hate crime trial delayed Hate crime trial delayed (August 06, 2004)

Defendent did not appear in court as scheduled

By Jon Wiener

Judge Diane Northway rescinded a warrant for the arrest of Jerrod Cohn when he appeared in court Tuesday and she continued his trial until Sept. 27. Cohn, who lives in Spokane, Wash., and is out on bail, missed a scheduled hearing on Monday due to what his attorney said was miscommunication.

Cohn is charged with a hate crime for allegedly assaulting Angel Santuario last October. Deputy district attorney Dan Okonkwo said Cohn and two co-workers attacked Santuario because they mistakenly thought he was gay. Cohn's co-workers, Michael Daugherty and Brian Walter, both of New York, pleaded no contest to the charges in February.

Cohn's attorney, Wes Schroeder, has maintained that Cohn did not participate in the attack.

Okonkwo said he plans to call Daugherty and Walter as witnesses to cast doubt on Cohn's story that he tried to break up the fight. Police officers discovered Cohn with blood on his shirt and boots and a scratch on his left arm, according to the police report.

Cohn's failure to appear on Monday did not factor into the trial being delayed, said Okonkwo. Cohn has waived his right to a speedy trial, and Northway had to deal with more urgent cases, he added. Schroeder could not be reached for comment.

E-mail Jon Wiener at jwiener@mv-voice.com

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