3 Graduates Face Trial In Wisconsin Hate Crime

MADISON, WISCONSIN - Three members of the Waubonsie Valley High School class of 2005 and another man face trial later this year for their alleged roles in a hate crime on the campus of the University of Wisconsin at Madison.
Felony criminal damage to property and misdemeanor disorderly conduct charges were lodged against all four suspects: Kevin R. Sochacki, 18, of Naperville; Michael D. Riha, 19, also of Naperville; Caleb M. Moore, 18, a former Naperville resident living in Auburn, Ala., all graduates of the Aurora high school, and Benjamin T. Chamberlain, 19, of Crystal Lake.
A seven-page criminal complaint filed in Dane County Circuit Court in Madison indicated that Sochacki and Moore traveled last month to the campus to socialize with Riha, who attends school there. Chamberlain, who is also enrolled at the University of Wisconsin, attended the gathering in Riha's dormitory room, according to the complaint.
The men are charged in the early-morning Dec. 21 vandalism of a residence hall bulletin board informing students of services available from the university's Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender organization, the complaint stated.
They also are accused of shortly thereafter shouting threats outside the dormitory room of a gay male student liaison to that organization, according to a report compiled by university police Detective Carol Ann Glassmaker.
Charge boosted to felony
Glassmaker wrote that the student liaison opened his door to the words "I hate f-----g faggots!" "Die" had also been scrawled on his dry-erase message board.
Sochacki, in his police interview, first admitted but later denied having torn down photos on the bulletin board, while Moore admitted he tore a picture from the bulletin board and may have spit on the gay student's door, according to police. Moore, Riha and Sochacki all identified Chamberlain as having written the slurs on the student's message board, officials said.
Dean A. Strang, Sochacki's attorney, said last Thursday a Wisconsin hate crime enhancement was applied in the case, boosting the more typically misdemeanor charge of criminal damage to property to the felony level. All four suspects are scheduled to appear in court Feb. 13.
from Chicago Sun-Times