Rick Jones, 21, became a cause celebre after he alleged that he was beaten and had a homophobic slur carved into his arm. In a case reminiscent of the Tawana Brawley case and some other more recent controversies (here and here), Jones has now admitted that it was a hoax.
Jones said that his ordeal began with a beating at his family’s pizza business that left him with head and facial bruising. A few days later, the family’s home was found spray-painted with a homophobic slur. On June 10, a rock and a molotov cocktail were thrown through the window of the home and their business was spray-painted, broken into and robbed of $1,000.
Jones became a rallying point for activists and supporters in raising money to “Stop Hate”:
He could now face charges in making a false police report that triggered an intense investigation. He also reportedly admitted that he made up accounts about harassment over his sexuality.
His attorney, Brett Tolman, however, insisted that this was just a “cry for help” and “it’s such good evidence of the difficulties members of the gay community deal with, and some make better choices than others.” Actually it is horrible evidence because it did not occur. Jones hurt his community which faces real discrimination and violence. His hoax will fuel those critics who deny such problems are real in resisting protections for the LGBT community.
Nevertheless, Tolman sees positive things coming from this hoax and Lt. Gov. Spencer Cox (right) said publicly that he is relieved that the troubling allegations are not true and remained concerned for Jones and his family in their struggle to find “peace and healing.”
I certainly feel sympathy for this family but should the police charge Jones? After all, this not only wasted police resources but he created the real possibility of people being detained or arrested for this hoax.
Behavior poses, not behavior pose.
A somewhat novel approach:
Hate crime legislation exists because crimes motivated by bigotry and bias are not simply viewed as crimes against the individual victim; rather, these crimes are considered to be a threat to an open and pluralistic society. State and Federal laws have specific rules regarding crimes based upon race, gender, religion, disability, sexual orientation, etc., which allow for enhanced punishment to be dispensed when these crimes are committed.
I would argue that anyone filing a false police report pertaining to some fictitious hate crime should also receive a form of enhanced punishment for doing so. I use the same rationale that the proponents of these measures espouse: his actions were not simply a crime against a single entity, since his behavior, by its very nature, where he disseminated false and destructive claims to the police and the community, pose a threat to an open and pluralistic society.
Karen
An crime is a crime except when race or another ingredient is involved then it is a hate crime and the punishment is more severe. Personally I am for this extra layer of punishment for a criminal who is a few extra degrees off the beam. This includes women/men who accuse someone of rape.
In a perfect world, one that would be covered by all the sacred documents, rights, and laws this would not be necessary. However, we do not live in a perfect world. As great as America is its problems are also much greater. The problems can only be dealt with if they are understood and addressed layer by layer.
This guy did harm on two levels. Firstly he defrauded the public. Secondly he rode an extremely sensitive and contentious issue with which America is trying to come to terms. As with racial issues, this should not be a slap on the wrist to a goofy nerd who stayed up late trying to finagle a few bucks here and there.
Squeeky:
Actually, if you know anything about Lou Reed and his companions over the years, you would realize that he would not say what you think. “Walk on the Wild Side” was a great song, however. I still have the original Velvet Underground banana album (with the banana unpeeled). Definitely one of the great rock albums of all time.
I have a thought that needs to be presented. What if he is now lying as a form of protection from a threat by some one against his family. In the past a kid told about his abuse at school, he later recanted the story.
Then another student came up with the same details.
A doctor later determined that the first kid lied about not being abused, because the principle and teacher threaten him. The medical test had proven he was physically and sexually abuse, scar tissue.
Did the school or the parents or neighbor do it. When asked for help, he was ignored and more abused.
The police was not involved in the school matter per their town charter.
The police see homophobic abuse differently from other crimes. Some cops even say it not even a crime to beat up on a gay person. “We have no law against such a crime.” But look at the law. Where does it state sexual orientation as an element. The cop was wrong, and the offense did occur but not in his point of view only.
Look into Jones’ story and see if he did the crimes, or were they done to him?
Why did he recant the events that would contain evidence of a crime and point to guilt?
Something to fishy about this story and the town’s investigation of it.
Therefore I suggest an outside independent investigation and not including the local investigators.
When the boy “Cried Wolf” the third time, it was to late to save him. This story is not yet at the third act.
it’s such good evidence of the difficulties members of the gay community deal with, and some make better choices than others.” Actually it is horrible evidence because it did not occur.
It’s horrible evidence because inventing fake evidence shows real evidence of supposed difficulties doesn’t exist.
So why is anybody surprised? What is this, alleged homophobic attack number 1,423 in the news??? Here is what I think Lou Reed would have said about it:
Walk on the Wild Side 2.0
A Parody Song by Squeeky Fromm
Little Ricky came from Deseret,
Said he was carved up for being gay!
And when his tale began to stink,
Risperdal* would have helped that twink!
You say, hey sugar, take a walk on the wild side!
Said, hey boy, take a walk on the wild side!
And the African American girls go;
Doo doo doo doo doo doo doo doo doo
Doo doo doo doo doo doo doo doo doo*
*Note: The producers and representatives of Mr. Reed’s estate wish to point out that the refrain, “doo doo” etc. is simply a rhythmic device, and is not intended to be a homophobic slur upon gay sexual practices. And that while, RISPERDAL® CONSTA® (risperidone) is approved for the treatment of schizophrenia and for the maintenance treatment of Bipolar I Disorder, RISPERDAL® (risperidone) is not approved for the treatment of patients with dementia-related psychosis.
Squeeky Fromm
Girl Reporter
He was just having some un-homo-phobic fun, but if he’s gay then it’s OK.
Damn maybe everyone should file false police reports, it does sound like fun. Although the state may say otherwise:
76-8-506. Providing false information to law enforcement officers, government agencies, or specified professionals.
A person is guilty of a class B misdemeanor if he:
(1) knowingly gives or causes to be given false information to any peace officer or any state or local government agency or personnel with a purpose of inducing the recipient of the information to believe that another has committed an offense;
(2) knowingly gives or causes to be given to any peace officer, any state or local government agency or personnel, or to any person licensed in this state to practice social work, psychology, or marriage and family therapy, information concerning the commission of an offense, knowing that the offense did not occur or knowing that he has no information relating to the offense or danger; or
(3) knowingly gives or causes to be given false information to any state or local government agency or personnel with a purpose of inducing a change in the person’s licensing or certification status or the licensing or certification status of another.
This sounds like he really needed money and found a way to defraud people to get it.
Should police apply the law to him because he is gay? Is that a question?
We are all supposed to be equal in the eyes of the law. He did not appear to suffer from a mental illness that prevents him from knowing right from wrong, because he tried to hide his tracks. They should charge him with filing a false police report and he should be forced to either give the money back, or donate it to a real charity.
It seems we hear about false reports of hate crimes fairly frequently. It also seems that the media and government are always trying to find a hate crime even where there is no evidence of such. And any altercation between a white and non-white is assumed to be a hate crime by the white person. But no black has ever been charged with a hate crime. Ever. So in practice, a hate crime is really a political issue. Some groups are more favored than others. If I were on a jury, I would never vote to convict anyone of a hate crime, because from what I’ve seen, it’s just too suspect in the way that it has been applied and the fact that there are so many bogus claims.
Damn right he should be charged. Taking money under false pretenses (is that a crime?), criminal damages to the house, etc. His attorney should be disbarred.
Just like the women who falsely cry rape….this guy falsely cries about crimes that never existed and which he made up…..and another black woman places a hangman’s noose on her door and cries racism.
This crying wolf only tend to make the rest of us who already don’t believe the meme [rape or crimes against gays or crimes against black] even more doubtful that the problem is as bad as they want to make it out to be.
Professional victims are just so tedious. Yaaaawn.
Yes. He should be charged not only with making false crime reports but also financial fraud for raising money to support his fake victim status.
A cry for help? The one overarching phenomenon in today’s society is how, by soliciting a few bucks from as many as possible, one can make a bundle. The banks, insurance companies, and other institutions as well as private enterprise structure their organizations so that miscellaneous fees, bogus penalties, and mistakes that favor the institution amount to billions.
Could it be that this guy simply saw a way to get on the band wagon? He’s gay OK. But this was not about addressing his condition in society. This was about making a buck. He should be charged as with any other scam of this type with a level of severity in the sentencing that would reflect that second layer such as ‘hate crime’, ‘race related crime’, ‘false rape accusation’, etc.
This reminds me of an old Dick Tracy, Sunday Funnies episode where Tracy was tracking down a scam where someone had published an add that simply said NO plastered over a photo of and atomic bomb blast with a request to send in one dollar to the address on the add. He traced it to an address where a Chimpanzee was opening envelopes and taking the dollar out and putting it in a sack, to the tune of a million or so dollars. I wish I had thought of that.
Let’s see – false police report and fraudulently raising funds. Gays should be treated like anyone else, including prosecution for crimes.
” A few days later, the family’s home was found spray-painted with a homophobic slur. On June 10, a rock and a molotov cocktail were thrown through the window of the home and their business was spray-painted, broken into and robbed of $1,000.”
All that sounds more serious than a cry for help. Self mutilation and a phony story are one thing. Rocks through the window, a Molotov cocktail and a robbery are several steps beyond.
I know what should be carved into his forehead:
“I’m Rick Jones Bitch!”
Or maybe a tramp stamp.
He’ll get a pass and his support will most likely increase.
Of course he should be charged. I would hope gay people would lead the way on his being charged, just like real rape victims should lead the way on the lying ones being charged. I know, naïve thought in the former, but probably not in the latter.
Fake, but accurate.