Lawyers: Ashford House Five In Talks for Plea Deal
The attorneys for five Indiana men accused in a Tinley Park attack on a suspected white supremacist group are in talks with prosecutors and the judge about a possible plea agreement. They will be back in court Nov. 16.
The five Indiana men being tried for their involvement in the Ashford House attack case, could take a plea deal, attorneys said Tuesday.
John Tucker, 26; Cody Sutherlin, 23; Dylan Sutherlin, 20; Alex Stuck, 22; and Jason Sutherlin, 33, were arrested in May and are charged with mob action, armed violence, aggravated battery and criminal damage to property.
READ: Ashford House Defendant Asks for Jury Trial
Police say the five men, three of whom are brothers, stormed the Ashford House in Tinley Park on May 19, their faces covered, and began pummeling a group of diners and some random patrons using extendable batons, table legs, nunchucks and bats. Authorities have said those targeted were affiliated with white supremacist movements, and defendants are said to be members of the Anti-Racist Action (ARA), a network of militant left-wing groups.
Jim Fennerty and Brian Barrido, attorneys for Cody and Dylan Sutherlin, respectively, both confirmed Tuesday, Oct. 23, that a meeting to discuss a plea bargain—known as a "402 conference"—began with prosecutors and Judge Carmen Aguilar on Monday, Oct. 22.
READ: Tinley Park 5 Becomes Symbol for Anti-Rascist Groups Across the Country
However, Aguilar continued the conference for a more extensive investigation, where all five defendants will be interviewed, Fennerty told Patch during a phone interview Tuesday.
A motion to suppress the arrest of the men is pending the outcome of the conference, Barrido said in voice mail message.
"I will be arguing the motion to quash the arrest if we can't resolve [the case] with the conference," the attorney said.
The lawyers said all five defendants were involved in the plea talks, including Tucker. In September, attorneys for Tucker dropped their motion to suppress the arrest and asked for a jury trial, claiming the delays in the case were caused by a political agenda and their client was innocent of any wrongdoing.
READ: Check Out Patch's Complete Coverage of the Attack and Trial in Our Ashford House Section
Tucker's counsel wasn't immediately available for comment Tuesday.
The next court date for all five defendants is Nov. 16.
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Joe Malecki
11:08 am on Wednesday, October 24, 2012
let them all rot in jail....well deserved!
Pro Con
1:04 pm on Wednesday, October 24, 2012
Thans for keeping up with the story. I still would like to see some investigative journalism on the "Rock Against Racism" punk movement from Chicago in the 80's/90's that spawned groups like this. There was major beef between rival record producers/event promoters on the north side. A good deal of this movement came out of that.
pupperdoo
8:25 pm on Thursday, October 25, 2012
These are 5/12(?) people involved, & we don't even know how involved these individuals were. Personally, I know 3 of them, the ones who also happen to be brothers, and I don't see that type of person in them. Yes, they were somewhat involved, sure, they do need time ect ect, The situation could have been approached a different way but it wasn't. But then again, it also allowed for 2 arrests on the 'victims' for warrants. Everything happens for a reason, whatever should happen will happen. But then again, I still wonder what Casey Anthony is doing. It's sad how different lawyers, can prove the guilty innocent & innocent guilty.
anthony
3:38 pm on Sunday, October 28, 2012
What i want to find out is who is rounding up every junkie, punk, scumbag and whore shaving their domes and calling them skinheads.. ask EP...
As for the ARA groups like that do not sprout like mushrooms they slow cook to a boil point... Driven by personal experience or non stop rhetoric
Dogmom5957
3:45 pm on Sunday, October 28, 2012
@ Joe, They haven't even been convicted, nothing has been proven. Have you ever heard of this concept, "Innocent until proven guilty?"You are reading what's in print, not very accurate, I'm finding out.Let them all rot is pretty harsh.
Peter James Irwin
2:35 pm on Tuesday, November 6, 2012
Dogmom5957 how about the people they attacked? Were they given the chance to be innocent till proven guilty? Oh that's right - they weren't doing anything illegal!
Karl Gray
6:07 am on Wednesday, November 7, 2012
I would like to see the people who are behind these idiots brought to justice,David Irvings books are historical texts not propaganda, powerful liars use fools like these to try and stop people from hearing the truth,they should not be allowed to get away with it. Look at these losers,there is not a brain cell between them.
Flyover
10:07 pm on Monday, November 12, 2012
Yes, follow the money. There will be no surprise as to the identity of group financing and orchestrating unlawful so-called "anti-fa" gangs.
Lo Ma Sek To
2:38 pm on Wednesday, November 7, 2012
If democracy is important in America, these thugs should go to jail and have re-education until they can see that the right thing to do is not what they happen to think it is.
Flyover
9:58 pm on Monday, November 12, 2012
Leftist thugs - just like the old days. That's why Hitler created his brownshirts, to defend his movement from these suppressors of free speech and assembly.
Augustine
5:34 pm on Friday, November 16, 2012
These attackers are lucky to be alive.
I would not hesitate to shoot some masked punk attacking me with a bat.