The trial of Brandon Piekarsky, 17, and while Derrick Donchak, 19, lasted a little under a week .. major players in the case weren't even called by the prosecution.. The defense rested after merely two hours, and the a key witness' questioning led to several questions about a pair of sneakers that weren't answered and may never be..

And last night, Piekarsky and Donchak were found guilty of simple assault--and no other charge. Piekarsky was aquited of murder and ethnic intimidation.. Donchak was found not guilty of assault and ethnic intimidation// And with it comes controversy, cheers in some circles, and outrage in others..

The Pottsville REPUBLICAN HERALD offered a full week of detailed reporting on the trial, it's worth going back through this week's newspaper editions to read more..

And now that the "all white" jury has found the defendants not guilty on the key charges, the many outside activists groups and players are sure to react in kind.

MORE: The Associated Press today writes from Pottsville by summarizing the trial in terms of race: "An all-white jury on Friday acquitted two Pennsylvania teenagers of all serious charges against them stemming from the fatal beating of an illegal Mexican immigrant last summer."

Another AP dispatch writes about protester reactions: "Prosecutors called the beating death of an illegal immigrant from Mexico a hate crime, and they urged an all-white jury in Pennsylvania coal country to punish two white teenagers for their roles in the attack. Instead, the jury found the teens innocent of all serious charges, a decision that elicited cheers and claps from the defendants' families and friends — and cries of outrage from the victim's."

There were cheers in the Pottsville courtroom last Friday night when the verdict was read.. There were stunned reactions on blogs and news stations immediately afterwards..

WNEP reported soon after.

x x x x

Reactions are coming in..
http://immigrationmexicanamerican.blogspot.com/ writing "NO JUSTICE! MURDERERS ONLY Slightly slapped on the hand for murdering a young father by brutally kicking him in the head as he lay unconcsious! And the KILLER is JUBILANT!"

http://www.diggersrealm.com/ "Almost identical to my own verdicts that I came to the conclusion with after following this all week"

Reactions to continue..

Developing..

Labels: crime, Pennsylvania, Race Relations, Shenandoah