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Steve Myers
Site Admin
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This could be the strangest scapegoat for murder ever:
A Portland lawyer says suffering by African Americans at the hands of slave owners is to blame in the death of a 2-year-old Beaverton boy.
Randall Vogt is offering the untested theory, called post traumatic slave syndrome, in his defense of Isaac Cortez Bynum, who is charged with murder by abuse in the June 30 death of his son, Ryshawn Lamar Bynum. Vogt says he will argue -- "in a general way" -- that masters beat slaves, so Bynum was justified in beating his son.
Joy DeGruy-Leary, a professor at Portland State University and developer of this theory, testified at a Bynum's pre-trial hearing. Circuit Judge Nancy W. Campbell threw that testimony out. She did indicate that it may still be used in the trial, but only if the defense can demonstrate that "slave theory" is an accepted mental disorder and specifically applies to this case.
Meanwhile, the prosecution is focusing on events which do specifically apply to this case:
Murder-by-abuse, punishable by life in prison with 25 years before possible parole, means the victim suffered from a pattern of assaults. An autopsy found Ryshawn Bynum died of a brain injury and had a broken neck, broken ribs and as many as 70 whip marks on his legs, buttocks, back and chest that were of various ages.
The marks may have been of various ages, but not one of them was more than two years old. |
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Tue Jun 22, 2004 2:04 am |
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