Mayhem, Assault Convictions Upheld in Denny Beating Case
A state appeals court Tuesday unanimously upheld the 1993 mayhem and assault convictions of one of the primary assailants of truck driver Reginald O. Denny, whose televised beating came to symbolize the fury of the 1992 Los Angeles riots.
The three-judge panel rejected the claims of Damian Monroe Williams that the court prejudiced his case by, among other things, limiting his ability to cross-examine some witnesses and dismissing an African American juror.
The panel also rejected the claim that Williams, who is African American, was singled out for prosecution because of his race. Denny is white.
Williams was convicted of mayhem for throwing a brick at Denny’s head at Florence and Normandie avenues, one of the flash points of the riots, as well as four misdemeanor counts of assault on Asian and Latino passersby.
He was sentenced to eight years on the mayhem conviction and a total of two years for the misdemeanor assaults.
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