Lying alleged in hate crime trial

Defense attorneys in the Long Beach hate crime trial continued to rip into the prosecution’s case Friday, charging that it was a rush to judgment fueled by a wealthy community’s outrage and inflammatory media coverage.

“I am asking this court to have a judicial backbone of steel to not be influenced by any outside forces,” said Darrell Goss, one of four attorneys who delivered closing arguments in the case Friday.

The attorneys for 10 youths accused of beating three white women on Halloween in Bixby Knolls focused on inconsistencies within and between the testimony of the prosecution’s three main witnesses. Goss, one of two private attorneys in the case, went beyond his colleagues by accusing one of the victims and an eyewitness of flat-out lying.

The nine girls and one male -- ages 12 to 18 -- are charged with assault with intent to cause great bodily harm; eight face a hate-crime enhancement over racial slurs allegedly yelled during the attack.

Two other juveniles face a separate trial later on similar charges.

Goss held up the crisp, white running shoes his client was wearing when she allegedly stomped two of the women.

“These shoes look like they just came out of the box,” he said. “I don’t see scuff marks. No bloodstains.”

Attorney Jack A. Fuller said the identification of the 10 minors was flawed because officers never did a photo lineup or live lineup that included people who were not suspects. “We know they weren’t done because under those circumstances we know the prosecution would get zero identifications.”

Defense attorney Frank Williams Jr. is expected to make the last defense argument Monday, followed by a rebuttal from Deputy Dist. Atty. Andrea Bouas. Judge Gibson Lee will then deliberate on his verdict. There are no juries in juvenile cases.

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joe.mozingo@latimes.com