Tuesday, November 6, 2012
Akram Alshoweat of Oak Lawn and Mohammed Shaban of Hickory Hills each pleaded guilty to one count of felony hate crime Tuesday and were sentenced to 24 months of probation. Other charges were dismissed.
A hate crime and robbery case against two southwestern suburban men that began more than two years ago ended Tuesday, as the pair pleaded guilty to one felony count each of a hate crime. Akram Alshoweat, 24, of Oak Lawn and Mohammed Shaban, 37, of Hickory Hills were each sentenced to 24 months probation by Cook County Judge Colleen Ann Hyland in her Bridgeview courtroom. The two men were charged in connection to a June 28, 2010 incident where police say they attacked a woman they believed to be a lesbian outside a Hickory Hills restaurant. They shouted slurs at the woman in Arabic, and then punched and kicked her as she tried to leave, prosecutors said. However, the men's attorneys contended that the tussle was self-defense against the …
Friday, August 31, 2012
Defense attorneys for two men accused of assaulting a women haven't said what the evidence is they've brought against prosecution's key witness.
Two men facing trial on hate crime and robbery charges will have to wait until next month to find out if a Cook County judge will allow a jury to hear evidence against the prosecution's key witness. Akram Alshoweat, 24, of Oak Lawn and Mohammed Shaban, 37, of Hickory Hills are accused of attacking and robbing a woman they believed to be a lesbian on June 28, 2010, outside a restaurant, police said. Attorneys said the two men have pleaded not guilty and claim they acted in self-defense. They rejected a plea deal in March. Gregg Smith, Shaban's attorney, told Patch on Friday, Aug. 31 that the defense has filed a motion to submit information and evidence to Judge Colleen Ann Hyland against the key witness, John Mitsis. "I don't want to go …
Wednesday, August 22, 2012
A Cook County judge granted more time for attorneys representing Mohammad Shaban of Hickory Hills and Akram Alshoweat of Oak Lawn to review charges leveled against a key witness in the prosecution's cases against them.
Attorneys for two men awaiting trial on hate crime and robbery charges asked a Cook County judge Tuesday for more time to gather information about a battery case against a key witness for the prosecution. Akram Alshoweat, 24, of Oak Lawn and Mohammed Shaban, 37, of Hickory Hills are accused of attacking and robbing a woman they believed to be a lesbian on June 28, 2010, outside a restaurant, police said. Attorneys said the two men have pleaded not guilty and claim they acted in self-defense. They rejected a plea deal in March. Patch is on Facebook, too. Like Oak Lawn and Palos. During Tuesday's hearing, attorneys Gregg Smith and Michael Monaco were set to file motions in Judge Colleen Ann Hyland's Bridgeview courtroom regarding felony …
Wednesday, July 25, 2012
Attorneys defending Mohammad Shaban, of Hickory Hills, and Akram Alshoweat, of Oak Lawn against hate crime and robbery charges want time to review felony battery of a police officer charges against the prosecution's key witness.
The trial of Mohammed Shaban, of Hickory Hills, and Akram Alshoweat, of Oak Lawn, on hate crime and robbery charges was postponed Tuesday, July 24, the day the trial was set to begin. Hickory Hills police said Shaban of Hickory Hills and Alshoweat of Oak Lawn, battered and robbed a woman they believed to be a lesbian on June 28, 2010, outside a restaurant. Michael Monaco, attorney for Alshoweat and Gregg Smith, Shaban's attorney, were granted a continuance by Judge Colleen Ann Hyland to give them time to review a felony aggravated battery of a police officer charge against the prosecution's key witness. That case is also before Hyland, the attorneys pointed out and there is a separate battery case before another judge. John Mitsis was not…
Saturday, June 9, 2012
Also, Kustok pretrial investigations move from prosecutors to defense attorneys. Judge extends protection order filed against the vice president of the New Lenox District 122 Board of Education.
The Southland's major criminal and civil cases heard in Cook County and Will County courts this week. OAK LAWN — Oak Lawn Bank Robbery Suspect Charged in Federal Court Police said a man connected to Saturday's robbery of the Bank of America branch in Oak Lawn has been charged with one count of robbery. Bank employees say they heard what sounded like the robber talking to another person outside the bank on a cell phone. ORLAND PARK — Dennis Dodson’s ruddy hair and beard and neon-yellow jumpsuit provided the only color Tuesday in an otherwise quick and routine court appearance. Dodson was charged last year with the daylight kidnap and molestation of an 83-year-old woman behind the Orland Park Home Depot. He remained in jail on a $1.5 million…
Wednesday, June 6, 2012
Mohammed Shaban and Akram Alshoweat have been accused of yelling anti-gay slurs while beating a woman in Hickory Hills.
A jury will decide later this month whether a woman was beaten and robbed because of her perceived sexual orientation or whether she was actually the aggressor of the fight. Authorities said Mohammed Shaban and Akram Alshoweat yelled gay epithets in Arabic while they punched, kicked and whipped a woman outside a Hickory Hills restaurant in June 2010 and then made off with her wallet and keys. Charges included hate crime and armed robbery. But on July 24 defense attorneys intend to call several witnesses of their own, including a Palos Community Hospital doctor who apparently treated Alshoweat later that night for a fractured nose. They say the woman is a former professional Mixed Martial Arts fighter and allege that one of her students was…
Tuesday, January 31, 2012
Last minute rules prohibit defense attorneys from prying into the victim's sexual orientation and showing her mixed martial arts DVD.
Any evidence concerning the fighting abilities or the actual sexual orientation of a woman who was allegedly beaten and robbed for being a lesbian has been barred from a hate crime trial that commences next week. Mohammed Shaban, 37, of Hickory Hills, and Akram Alshoweat, 25, of Oak Lawn, were arrested for yelling anti-gay slurs in Arabic while punching, kicking and whipping a woman outside a Hickory Hills restaurant in 2010, police said. Charges related to hate crime and robbery were filed shortly after the men turned themselves in. Establishing last minute boundaries on defense attorneys, Judge Colleen Ann Hyland ruled Monday that both the woman’s sexual orientation and Shaban’s clean criminal record were irrelevant topics for trial. …
Friday, January 27, 2012
Patch talked to a few Brother Rice students Thursday about a hate crime incident that happened over winter break, when three white teens threatened a black student's life.
After speaking with Brother Brother Rice High School officials about a hate crime incident involving two of their current students and one alumnus, Patch hit the streets to ask students their take on the situation. Chicago police recently charged three teens with perpetrating a hate crime on Dec. 23 in the 1600 block of South 100th Pl. A Brother Rice student, Joshua Merritt, 17, was the victim and one of the accused is a classmate. Merritt said Matthew Herrmann, 18, of Alsip and two other teens forced him to wear a noose and threatened his life, according to police. Brother Rice High School principal James Antos said "as of right now, the student is removed from school." Disciplinary action taken against the student "will be determined, …
Thursday, January 26, 2012
After a 17-year old black Brother Rice student was threatened with a noose by three teens, one of whom was a classmate, the school's President said it's using it to teach kids tolerance.
Brother Rice High School officials are continuing to investigate a hate crime incident involving two of their current students and one alumnus. Chicago police recently charged three teens with perpetrating a hate crime on Dec. 23 in the 1600 block of South 100th Pl. A Brother Rice student, Joshua Merritt, 17, was the victim and one of the accused is a classmate. Merritt said Matthew Herrmann, 18, of Alsip and two other teens forced him to wear a noose and threatened his life, according to police. Earlier today, Brother Rice High School principal James Antos responded to the incident "as of right now, the student is removed from school." Disciplinary action taken against the student "will be determined, given our school processes," …
Police charged three teens with perpetrating a hate crime in a Dec. 23 incident. A Brother Rice student was the victim and one of the accused was a classmate.
A senior at Brother Rice High School visiting a friend’s home late last year found himself in a life-threatening situation. According to Chicago Police, Joshua Merritt, 17, was the victim of a hate crime at about 5:30 p.m. on Dec. 23, 1600 block of W. 100th Pl. WGN-TV reported that this happened at the home of a Cook County State's Attorney's office employee. After investigating the matter for weeks, police arrested a young man and two juveniles. Police arrested Matthew Herrmann, 18, of Alsip and charged him with battery, felony unlawful restraint and felony hate crime. FOX Chicago News reported that the three suspects put a noose around Merritt’s neck twice, wouldn’t allow him to leave, and used the N-word several times as they threatened…
Joe Wilson
6:17 pm on Friday, October 26, 2012
Any news on this case? more ›