3 Charged in Brawl That Left Girl Disfigured Appear in Court

A 17-year-old white youth, his father and a young black man charged in connection with a brawl that left 15-year-old Amber Jefferson disfigured, appeared in court for the first time Thursday on assault and weapons charges.

In a victory for the Jefferson family, a Municipal Court judge denied a defense request to reduce bail for one of Amber’s alleged assailants but ordered one of her friends released on a $500 cash bond over prosecutors’ objections.

Jefferson family members had been outraged over the arrest of Amber’s 19-year-old friend, Lewis Jones of Anaheim, whom they have credited with saving her life the night of the attack. In preparation for the arraignment Thursday in Municipal Court in Westminster, black pastors from across Orange County had raised more than $200 toward Jones’ bail.

Juvenile Court Judge C. Robert Jameson, meanwhile, scheduled a Sept. 28 hearing to determine whether Kurt David Wimberly, the 17-year-old Stanton youth accused of throwing a piece of glass that left a deep gash in Amber’s face, will be tried as an adult based on the seriousness of the alleged crimes. He was arraigned Thursday in Juvenile Court in Orange on felony charges of mayhem, assault with a deadly weapon, infliction of great bodily injury and battery.

“The burden of proof is on the defendant to show that he should be tried as a juvenile,” said Deputy Dist. Atty. Kathi Harper, who is prosecuting the case. “In my opinion, when I look at the criteria, he doesn’t qualify.”

If convicted on all counts, Wimberly could receive a maximum sentence of 14 years, according to juvenile authorities. Wimberly, who allegedly violated probation on an earlier burglary charge, remains in custody.

Two other defendants in the case were arraigned in Orange County Municipal Court on misdemeanor assault and battery charges.

Earl Wimberly, 42, a construction worker and Kurt Wimberly’s father, pleaded not guilty to assault and exhibiting a deadly weapon. He is being held in Orange County Jail in lieu of $3,500 bail. Municipal Judge James H. Poole denied his request for a bail reduction, citing previous cases in which he had failed to appear in court.

Jones also pleaded not guilty to malicious mischief, assault with a deadly weapon and fighting in a public place. Jones has no police record, according to his attorneys.

A fourth defendant in the case, Trevor McClure, 21, accused of exhibiting a deadly weapon and challenging to fight, has not yet been arraigned.

Harper, meanwhile, expressed concern that the publicity surrounding the high-profile case may make finding an impartial jury difficult. “I think the media coverage has inflamed the community,” she said, after Kurt Wimberly’s arraignment. “Any time you have a case like this, it’s hard to pick a jury.”

The attack on Amber, a freshman at Santiago High School in Garden Grove, has become a rallying point for civil rights activists to focus public attention on their belief that racism is prevalent in Orange County.

But after announcing the results of his office’s investigation Tuesday, Dist. Atty. Michael R. Capizzi harshly criticized black community leaders who had called the case a race issue. Capizzi ruled out race as a motive in the attack and announced that his prosecutors would not file hate-crimes charges against anyone in the case.

Amber, the daughter of a white mother and black father, was injured Aug. 7 in the parking lot of a Stanton apartment complex during a brawl, according to authorities. Twelve people were involved in the fighting, but she was the only one injured. Amber and those with her say some of the whites used racial epithets before the fighting broke out. But prosecutors allege the confrontation was the result of an argument between two girls over a boy.

In a related matter, the Orange County Human Relations Commission reviewed the Amber Jefferson case Thursday evening and commissioners agreed that the best long-term response would be to encourage the schools to step up and expand anti-prejudice programs. The commission has worked on model programs with several school districts.

“I think we need to put pressure on the bureaucracies,” said Commissioner Robert Jensen. “We’re going to face increasing pressure from cultural clashes.”

Times staff writer Sonni Efron contributed to this report.