Is Long Beach Hate-Crime Trial Getting the Attention It Deserves?

Last Halloween night, the Long Beach Police say three white women were attacked coming out of a haunted house in the upscale neighborhood of Bixby Knolls. One victim suffered broken facial bones and the partial loss of sight in one eye. Ten black juveniles—nine of them girls-- are on trial. Police say they yelled racial epithets during the assault, including "we hate whites" and "white bitches." Because of that, the District Attorney has accused eight of the defendants of hate crimes. That could mean a "first strike" on their adult criminal records. It's a potentially sensational story, including claims of intimidation against witnesses. But there are questions about whether it's getting the attention it really deserves.