A Ramsey County District Court jury Friday acquitted Issac Oneal Maiden on all four counts he faced in the gang beating that nearly killed Ray Widstrand on a street in St. Paul's Payne-Phalen neighborhood. Jurors said afterward that there were many conflicting accounts of the attack but little hard evidence of Maiden's involvement. Maiden, 19, of St. Paul was charged with first-degree robbery and assault, as well as committing those crimes for the benefit of a gang. He was the only adult defendant charged in the Aug. 4 beating. Bruce Wenger, Maiden's attorney, said he was "thrilled" at the verdict, which produced a firm handshake and a hug from his client. Wenger added that he hoped those responsible for the assault would be convicted. "This was a horrible crime, and I feel for the family," he said. Ramsey County prosecutors said in a statement they were disappointed by the verdict but "will respect it and move forward to the remaining cases." The jury deliberated for about four hours Friday afternoon, sorting through a morass of conflicting testimony. Some witnesses put Maiden at the center of the beating; others said he was nowhere near the attack. Widstrand's family didn't immediately respond to requests for comment. One juror, Shoua Yang, said many of the witnesses seemed to be withholding something or dodging the truth, making it hard to determine whom to believe. "It wasn't an easy decision to make," she said. Tom Paulson, another juror, said Maiden himself seemed to be lying about a key part of his alibi -- being incapacitated by pepper spray just before Widstrand arrived on the scene. He said jurors were skeptical of that claim because Maiden appeared fine in videos taken just before the beating. But in the end, Paulson said, there was no proof he participated. He said the testimony of Rozell Grainger, a juvenile who has pleaded guilty in the attack and said Maiden was not involved, was particularly compelling. Grainger, the juror said, had "nothing else to lose." [Nonsense. Testifying against Maiden could have cost him his life.] Paulson also said he thought prosecutors had singled out Maiden because he was featured prominently in the videos. [“Singled out”? The only person singled out was Ray Widstrand.] "He was screaming and putting up gang signs," Paulson said, "but he wasn't really doing anything wrong." The jury voted a half-dozen times during deliberations, he said. "It sucks that we couldn't help out the family of the victim, but you also don't want to put the wrong person behind bars," Paulson said. In his closing argument Friday, prosecutor David Miller argued that credible witnesses identified Maiden as one of the attackers. Miller said those who testified otherwise were friends and associates with gang ties and even had reason to fear Maiden, who they said was affiliated with the Ham Crazy gang. Wenger, meanwhile, said one of three witnesses who linked Maiden to the beating was unsure; the second was self-serving; and the third lied. He said there was no credible evidence that Maiden participated, and he went on to say he didn't even believe the defendant is now associated with a gang. Widstrand, who was 26 at the time and lived near the crime scene, was attacked after he walked into a chaotic street gathering of teens who had spilled out of a nearby party. One witness said Widstrand was beaten after trying to help a girl who was knocked down in a fight. His injuries included near-fatal brain swelling. He's recovering slowly; prosecutors say his speech and ability to walk remain impaired. Four other people -- three 15-year-olds and a 16-year-old -- have been charged in the case. One, Grainger, pleaded guilty as a juvenile. "You dodged one here," Judge Salvador M. Rosas told Maiden after the verdict was read. "I would suggest you think about what you've been doing." If Maiden doesn't change his behavior and associates, he said, "I have no doubt you'll be back." Marino Eccher can be reached at 651-228-5421. Follow him at twitter.com/marinoeccher.
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"He dodged one here!" So said the judge. And the miscreant will dodge a second one, a third one, a fourth one, etc. Forever.
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