OAKLAND, Calif.: California teen in bus attack ordered to trial | State News | FresnoBee.com

OAKLAND, Calif.: California teen in bus attack ordered to trial | State News | FresnoBee.com




OAKLAND, Calif. — A Northern
California teenager accused of setting the clothing of a gender-neutral
teen on fire on a transit bus has been ordered to trial.

Richard
Thomas was ordered to stand trial on aggravated mayhem, assault and hate
crime charges in an Alameda County courtroom on Thursday.

The
16-year-old boy from Oakland faces a possible life sentence if he's
convicted in the Nov. 4 attack on 18-year-old Sasha Fleischman, who
identifies as neither male nor female.

Thomas' attorney, William
DuBois says Thomas waived his right to a preliminary hearing in part to
avoid having bus surveillance video of the incident to be played in
court before a trial.

Du Bois says homophobia played no role in
the bus incident, which he characterizes as an ill-conceived prank gone
horribly wrong.

No trial date has been set