Piekarsky Kick in the Head Murder Date Set for April 27. Will Justice be Served?

The trial date for the "Kick in the Head Murder" case of Brandon Piekarsky and Derrick Donchak has been set for April 27. Jury selection will start on April 22. One thing is troubling about this case. The trials of only two (Donchak & Piekarsky) of the three charged are moving forward. Walsh was not included. Very Curious! As you recall from the Grand Jury testimony of fellow football player and witness Joseph Lawson, Donchak initiated the fight with Luis Ramirez. Walsh delivered the "sucker punch" which resulted in Ramirez' head bouncing off the macadam. Then the cowardly Piekarsky delivered the FINAL Kick to the Head as Ramirez lay unconscious on the ground. Piekarsky and Walsh are both charged with 3rd degree murder while Donchak is charged with assault with a deadly weapon (brass knuckles). I am concerned that the trials were separated. A motion to sever the trials was previously denied. So why are the trials now severed? It doesn't make sense. It appears the motion, even though denied, will actually occur. This leaves the Defense the opportunity to pit Walsh against Piekarsky. Did the sucker punch kill Ramirez or that final/fatal kick in the head? This appears to be an obvious ploy.

What is clear is, HATE CRIMES MUST STOP! The only way for these HATE CRIMES to stop is to ensure that the perpetrators of these HATE CRIMES are punished to the fullest extent of the Law! Those responsible MUST BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE. If they are allowed to go unpunished, then these crimes will surely continue!

Early in the investigation, the local police did not want to charge the perpetrators. It was only through the vigilance of Justice Advocates that this case came to the forefront. They brought in the FBI to investigate the improprieties. It is NOW time to call in the FBI again to ensure this case is brought forward properly through the Justice system.

mcall.com reports:

Trial date set for two of three charged in fatal Schuylkill beating
5:37 PM EDT, April 13, 2009
A trial date has been set for two of the three teenagers accused in the July fatal beating of an illegal immigrant in Schuylkill County, but it wasn't immediately clear today why the third won't be part of the trial.A notice released by the county Court Administrator's office today said jury selection will start April 22 to hear the cases against Brandon J. Piekarsky, 18, and Derrick M. Donchak, 19, both of Shenandoah, in the July 12 beating of Luis Ramirez, 25, a Mexican who had lived in the borough for six years.Piekarsky is charged with third-degree murder, ethnic intimidation and other counts. Donchak is charged with assault with a deadly weapon, aggravated assault and other counts.Police say the beating was racially motivated. The accused are white, and police say they used racial slurs as they beat Ramirez.
The trial then would start April 27, or as soon after that as a jury is seated, the announcement said.

It did not explain why a third teen charged in the beating, Colin Walsh, also 18 and of Shenandoah, won't be tried at the same time. County President Judge William E. Baldwin on Nov. 24 denied a motion by Walsh to sever his trial from that of the two others. Contacted today, Baldwin said he had no comment about why Walsh won't be charged with the others.Walsh's attorney, Roger Laguna Jr. of Harrisburg, was in another trial and was unavailable, an office secretary said.The case's racial component drew national attention to the small coal mining borough. The FBI has monitored the case since Latino groups criticized the initial handling of the case by borough police.