SLC gay man vindicated. His attackers STILL not charged.

The Nuts and Bolts:  David Bell attended an all-night bash at his neighbor's home.  The music was loud and most of the party guests were drunk - and there were two sleepy children who wanted a place to lie down and get away from the noise.  Bell took the kids into his house - right next door, mind - and let them crash on his couch.  When the inebriated neighbors discovered what had happened, they turned into homophobic vigilantes. 

From TipsQ:  The complainant, Lulu Latu, recovered the children from Bell's home in the morning where an argument ensued which included a gay slur... A number of the children's adult relatives broke down Bell's door and severely beat him and his gay partner, Dan Fair.  Bell was dragged from his home by his hair and his head was repeatedly smashed against the pavement.  Someone used a piece of broken glass to cut Bell's throat, chest and one of his toes.  Bell's partner, Fair, also was beaten, and a large TV was thrown onto his head.

The men's assailants were not charged with any wrongdoing - this happened in Utah, after all - even though the homobigots who almost killed Bell and Fair have extensive criminal records including robbery and assault on a police officer.  The cops didn't waste any time in arresting Bell, though, for a non-existent crime that might have sent him to prison for life.  From Desert News:  Nearly the entire courtroom audience burst into tears Friday when a jury pronounced David James Bell "not guilty" of child kidnapping.  Some were jubilant Bell supporters who had claimed all along that he was being singled out for prosecution on flimsy charges because he is gay.  But relatives of the two preschoolers involved in the case wept bitterly and left the courtroom without saying a word as they wiped their tears and helped other distraught family members walk outside.  (Presumably, the Latu clan wasn't falling down drunk that day.)  Roger Kraft, one of Bell's defense attorneys, said a plea bargain had previously been offered that would have required some type of guilty plea by Bell with recommendation for no prison time. But Kraft said Bell said they wanted to fight the charges because he is innocent.  "I wasn't willing to cop to something I didn't do," Bell declared, as the crowd cheered repeatedly.

It was unwise of Bell to offer these youngsters a safe haven from their parents' alcohol-drenched soiree.  But if Bell and Fair had been the "nice married couple" next door instead of *gasp* homosexuals, the Latus would likely have brought over a plate of cookies and thanked them for looking after the kids.  From SLTrib:  After acquitting David James "D.J." Bell of kidnapping two South Salt Lake children, jurors were asking why the case ever came to trial.  "We agreed, as a jury, that the four-day trial cost taxpayers at least $100,000, and our time was wasted, as well," juror Natasha Jorgensen told The Tribune.  "We were appalled because it had come this far...  I would hate to have a neighbor kid come to my house and become a D.J. Bell myself."

Now, after putting this young man through a gut-wrenching trial that wasted over a year of his life, prosecutors still have not charged the drunken family that stormed into his house and attacked him and his partner. 

The message is clear:  If you're gay, don't expect justice from law enforcment officials in Utah.   (Pictured:  David Bell)

Comments

[Trent]

At least the jury made the right decision. I hope this guy brings a civil lawsuit against the Latu family since the DA is obviously going to let the assault go unprosecuted.

[Bee Girl]

And how these homophobes would have reacted if he'd called child protective services? To say they overreated to the situation is an understatement. The district attorneys office should be ashamed.

[DeSwiss]

A civil rights complaint should be immediately lodged with the U.S. Justice Department by these two men, against this backwards police department and prosecutor for the State of Utah.

And they should begin civil proceedings against the neighbors for monetary damages of no less than a million dollars each.

And those are the words that I can say.

[athensguy]

In listing the offenses of the attackers, robbery is a real crime, but assaulting a police officer is just as likely to be a bunk "contempt of cop" charge as it is to be a real crime. It would be nice if attempted murder, child endangerment, breaking and entering and a few more things were added to the attackers' rap sheets.

[SillyWhabbit]

And here I thought this was a hate crime and the FBI should be involved.

[Lillith]

This is just absolutely disgusting that things like this occur, still. It's also disgusting there are people out there that don't know, don't care, or a hybrid of the two. Those ignorant, love-of-Christ filled, bigoted, Creationist-monkies probably envoked God or Jesus somewhere in that horrific event or during the trial, too.

Words cannont truly describe the anger, the disgust, the utter hopeless frustration this kind of backwards attitude and violence makes me feel.

[Tralfaz]

Thank you for keeping an eye on this case. I am so pissed off about this. I hope DJ and Dan sue the pants off those thugs and that DA in Salt Lake.

The jury saw that this was a bullshit trial and I hope they all rot.

[Carrie Bell]

I didn't appreciate Libith's comment (10/19/09): "Ignorant, love-of-Christ filled, bigoted, Creationist-monkies probably envoked God or Jesus somewhere in that horrific event". EXCUSE ME!!!! I am David James Bell's (D.J.'s) mother. Believe it or not, David also believes in God and Jesus, and it helped him while in jail and during all this nightmare to pray to Them, and he felt of Their love and help. Heavenly Father and Jesus love gays, too. We know this--from lots of experience with our gay son, and answers we've received in prayer and impressions of what would happen, etc. In the blessing David received at the start of the trial from his father, he was told this--that the Lord loved him, and that Satan desired to destroy him through this injustice. (And Satan would love to lead you to misery, too. His work is very evident in what happened to David.) David's very active LDS (yes, Christian) lawyer, Roger Kraft, busted his fanny and worked long hours (according to his wife, sometimes through the night) to put together all the evidence he could to see that David was acquitted. Don't go throwing around your anti-God stuff. I love David's gay friends. I'm not snotty about them, so don't be snotty about those of us who know God lives and that he loves ALL of us!

D.J. Bell's mom--Carrie Bell

[ravenheart]

This is the most appalling story I've read in recent memory, or at least since the Matthew Shepherd murder. I wish Bell and Fair all the best and hope they've recovered from this unbelievable trauma.

I'm not religious, but I hope if there IS an afterlife that some justice will be meted out to their assailants, since clearly the Utah courts were unwilling to do so.

[Zeke Krahlin]

To D.J. Bell's mom: I am not unsympathetic to your tragedy. However, you know very well that the anti-Christian adjectives used against the attackers were all well-earned. Don't tell me you're not aware of the massive violence and injustice perpetrated by many who call themselves "Christian". By pretending otherwise, you indirectly defend those ChristoFascists goons who violated your son's life. It would behoove you to actively and aggresively, confront the homophobia in your own church, and in other churches in your area, that preach under the name of Christ. If you do not, then I can only conclude that your wilfull silence has contributed to the bashing of your son, and to all other innocent, decent gay people.

[Bryson Gilreath]

Words cannot express how painful it is for me to read things like this. Gay Rights, and the plight of the gay community as a whole, for some reason always hits me really hard. We live in a nation that has struggle through some of the worst prejudice and injustice imaginable, and have arrived in an age where anybody (at least as far as the law goes) can vote, get a job, hold political office, or speak their views no matter their race or religion (unless they're atheist, but that's another discussion). And yet we, as a nation refuse to protect the rights, and often the lives, of our gay brothers and sisters. Are they somehow less American, or less human, that we and our elected government can just say no to their pleas for justice and equality? It's shameful.

[Atlanta-Cyclist]

I am appalled, angry and, sadly, not surprised. Our country is filled with people who hate. Ignorant people who cannot think past their own prejudice. My heart goes out to these innocent victims. I hope those who carried out this incredible outrage will feel the effects of karma. Remember assholes, paybacks are a bitch!