Deal made in hate-crime case Deal made in hate-crime case (January 14, 2005)

Jerrod Cohn, one of three construction workers who faced hate-crime charges for beating a Mountain View resident in late 2003, reached a plea agreement with prosecutors last week.

Two of Cohn's coworkers, who were in town to help install the new track at Los Altos High School, pled guilty to charges that they attacked Angel Santuario because they thought he was gay. But Cohn contested his role in the attack, and a trial last fall ended with a jury deadlocked 10-2 in favor of acquittal.

Cohn agreed to plead guilty to charges as an accessory after the fact. He was given credit for time spent in custody and was ordered to serve 800 hours of community service and pay $4,000 in restitution to help Santuario pay for his medical bills.

A significant amount of Cohn's community service time must be spent volunteering for a gay or lesbian community group in his hometown of Spokane, Wash., according to deputy district attorney Dan Okonkwo.
-- Jon Wiener

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