Teens Confess Attack on Studds
Two Maryland teen-agers pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court today to assaulting Rep. Gerry Studds (D-Mass.) on a Washington street corner June 7.
James L. Byrne and Thomas E. Carter Jr., both 19, confessed to misdemeanor charges of assault and battery on a congressman. They told the federal magistrate they were drunk when they attacked Studds.
U.S. Magistrate Patrick Attridge asked the defendants whether Studds had done anything to provoke the attack. “You just picked him out of the blue?” the magistrate asked. Both teen-agers replied yes.
Byrne and Carter apologized to Studds in a written statement. Both are high school graduates who work for a microfilm company in Maryland.
Sentencing is scheduled for Sept. 7.
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