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Juveniles Sentenced for Spitting on, Assaulting Couple at Mall

Chris Boardman

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) - Three juveniles have been sentenced in Family Court for their roles in an unprovoked attack on a Massachusetts family at Providence Place mall.

Authorities say a 16-year-old youth with gang connections was sentenced to one year of confinement at the Rhode Island Youth Development Center.

A 14-year-old boy was sentenced to six months of confinement, suspended for two years; and a 17-year-old girl was sentenced to six months confinement, suspended for two years.

Police say last October that the trio and an 18-year-old man spat on a Milford, Mass. man, and punched his wife, who was holding their baby son. The 18-year-old suspect, Michael Brooks, was sentenced to 30 days in jail.

Authorities say the four assailants were drunk.

(Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

Friday, Feb 12 at 10:38 PM Outraged wrote ...

Again with people stating the "Youths must have been provoked!" They were DRUNK. Specifically what part of that do people not understand? Did you even READ the article?

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Thursday, Feb 11 at 6:52 PM Truth wrote ...

All i hear is what the youth did...the question that should be asked is why they spit and assaulted the family. Always hear both sides. I don't agree to what they did, but I'm sure that the family did something to provoke what happened. Unfortunately, in our society there's a lot of hate and racism. In a way i don't blame them.

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Thursday, Feb 11 at 6:50 PM Roy Bolden wrote ...

The young always have the same problem - how to rebel and conform at the same time. They have now solved this by defying their parents and copying one another.

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Wednesday, Feb 10 at 12:55 PM Lars wrote ...

If we want to stop crime, we need to hand out harsher punishment. Most of us have been drunk before, I'm pretty sure no one would punch a woman in the face, let alone a woman holding an infant. Sorry punishment of 5-10 years prison time seems appropriate to me, next offence of any kind should be 10-20 years. Maybe that would detour these pieces of garbage.

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Tuesday, Feb 9 at 5:45 PM Truth wrote ...

One major problem is that if they end up at the ACI later on then they will waste even more of our tax payer's dollars. Send them off to Siberia! Society must be protected.

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Tuesday, Feb 9 at 4:37 PM Joe wrote ...

They are low lifes who need to be locked up for longer, they all will end up in the ACI in the future.

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Tuesday, Feb 9 at 2:57 PM Truth wrote ...

People who join gangs should be classified as terrorists. The message should be that if you join a gang and devote yourself to violence, you should be tried as a terrorist. Islamic terrorists, racist hate groups, Radical Christian fundementalists militants, and gangsters are all the same, tey are ALL terrorists! They should make an example out of these delinquents and send them to Guitanamo Bay or better yet, a nice Russian prison cell where they will learn the true definition misery when they learn about what they do to terrorists in their country! It's true, gangsters are terrorists and Islamic terrorists, hate groups, and gangs have one thing in common; they are scum and scum sticks to scum

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Tuesday, Feb 9 at 2:13 PM dIGGER wrote ...

That is one of the reasons I or my family refuse to go to that mall. There a punks everywhere, but that mall has no police presence when needed. There needs to be a complete clean up at the mall, so much money and so much waste.

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Tuesday, Feb 9 at 2:08 PM Mathew wrote ...

This state is corrupt. It's not a big job for the police to clean up these malls from criminals kids. It is not a big job for the police to catch loud muffler cars and vans that drive around disturbing peace and sleep. It is not big job to catch all the vehicles that drive around with invisible license plates. This state is disgusting in a neglected way.

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Tuesday, Feb 9 at 2:02 PM joe aubin wrote ...

who was the JUDGE?

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Tuesday, Feb 9 at 1:57 PM Bob G. wrote ...

If that was my family, I'd be doing time while the kids would be taking a permanent dirt nap. Animal kids, raised by animal parents.

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Tuesday, Feb 9 at 1:40 PM Portsmouth wrote ...

They all should have been caned. The cops need to round up the rest of the punk kids and set an example.

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Tuesday, Feb 9 at 1:37 PM M. Del wrote ...

These kids spit on this couple and then one of them punched the wife while she was holding their baby. If that were my family, while standing before the judge rest my case with the satisfaction that I beat every one of those punks to a pulp. They would have plenty of time to wonder wh they did that while laying in the ICU ward.

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Tuesday, Feb 9 at 1:28 PM an eye 4 an eye wrote ...

what a joke!!! slap them with a wet spaghetti noodle. THey all deserved at least a year for their intolerable actions. This judge should be removed immediatelty.

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Tuesday, Feb 9 at 1:19 PM Holmes wrote ...

Have any of you seen the movie Idiocracy? THAT is what the world is coming to.

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Tuesday, Feb 9 at 1:15 PM older citizen wrote ...

the providence place mall is not a good place to go to it is just a hang out for kids looking for trouble will not go there.

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Tuesday, Feb 9 at 12:58 PM todays society wrote ...

Kids are time out kids, NO respect for elders or any other human. The parents and schools just let them get away with everything. It starts from our presidents down, Bill clinton purgery is ok, Im not responsible for my own actions a lawyer can prove its someone else that made me do it. I cant pay my mortgage, Not my fault the bank made me do it. I cant get off welfare, and I should get more because my great great great grand father might have been a slave. I am gay and someone else is to blame. I grew up in a bad neighborhood ETC,,, It is part of life get over it and be a part of society. ACLU is for people that need excuses, some people do need help but the majority are just tics on the rest of us that work and contribute to the comunity. Our government is in for a rude awakening (transparency, no more lobby, no pork barrel, no special interest it goes on and on) we need an enema all new people in washington and our state we need this NOW.......

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Tuesday, Feb 9 at 12:51 PM FED UP wrote ...

SCUMBAGS - ENOUGH SAID, WHEN ARE THE LAWS GOING TO START PROSECUTING AND REALLY MAKING THESE PUNKS ACCOUNTABLE FOR THEIR ACTIONS? GOT TO LOVE THE LIBERALS

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Tuesday, Feb 9 at 12:30 PM Teacher wrote ...

These little punks would have been sorry for doing that to my wife and child. I feel bad for the family, what justice came of this? Food, shelter and clothes for the little punks!!! APPALLED Where are the parents? How did they get the booze? Children are not being taught morals or how to respect people in society. Parents are not being held accountable for their child's actions anymore. It's ALWAYS someone else's fault and never their own.

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Tuesday, Feb 9 at 12:21 PM Nature wrote ...

Spitting and coughing are natural. That's all to it. Why making a big deal?

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Tuesday, Feb 9 at 12:15 PM Swine wrote ...

It is old as prostitution that spitting and coughing at something disgusting is a common place. So, next time when someone spits or coughs deliberately in front of you, get the meaning that you may not be fair or moral in acts or dealings or the person has swine flu or something like that. The best way to live a happy life is to ignore minor imperfections in our society and lead a good and moral life.

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Tuesday, Feb 9 at 12:01 PM smj wrote ...

This is a case of a few bad apples spoiling the bunch. I go to providence place mall all of the time with my family and never have an issue. Jackson, there is nothing wrong with providence in the downtown area. It is the other parts of providence that are bad. I am not saying it cannot get bad again if city hall and PPD does not do their job. It was bad in the late 80's and through a good part of the 90's. I used to work downtown and it was a dump. They fixed it up to where it is safe to go and enjoy yourself.

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Tuesday, Feb 9 at 12:00 PM Moralgaddon wrote ...

Spitting at someone is a crime. Spitting in front of someone or something may not be a crime. Society may need to act as a moral police by spitting and coughing in front of an improper or immoral act. It is good to preserve morality and decency in the society but not violence. Spit away emotionally insecure people to psychiatric wards until they are fit to behave decently and morally in the society.

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Tuesday, Feb 9 at 11:58 AM South County resident wrote ...

When you get out of jail, come to Westerly and spit on someone and see what happens to you. You city punks need some good old fashion country justice.

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Tuesday, Feb 9 at 11:52 AM Cold wrote ...

Coughing and spitting are sometimes good to clear off bad. But don't spit at someone or cough at someone as it is an assault. It will increase the immune system of moral society.

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Tuesday, Feb 9 at 11:47 AM Sibby wrote ...

Spit is an act of disgust with respect to one's conscience and scruples . It is practiced in many countries where moral values are very high compared to the west an therefore low divorce rate.

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Tuesday, Feb 9 at 11:47 AM Outraged wrote ...

No one deserves to be assaulted like that. AM Married you should be ashamed of yourself! How dare you assume that a man and woman walking the mall are acting inappropriate! Let alone deserve to be spit at and punched! These holligans were intoxicated! She was holding their child! Those "juveniles" deserve a harsher sentince. If they are drunk at that age then its clear more intervention to make then productive members of society is needed! The person who dared to lay a hand on a woman who is holding in her arms a child should serve YEARS in jail. Just another example of "punks" making RI look horrible yet again!

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Tuesday, Feb 9 at 11:43 AM Moral woman wrote ...

Spitting at the body of a person is an assault. But spitting in front of a immoral person or an act of immoral behavior may not be a crime. In fact, spitting at immoral things may be a good thing. Violence is bad and unwise.

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Tuesday, Feb 9 at 11:38 AM white bread wrote ...

Bad parenting? Your assumption is that they have parents...

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Tuesday, Feb 9 at 11:36 AM Judge Caprio wrote ...

RI doesn't have laws, only "Guidelines"!

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Tuesday, Feb 9 at 11:36 AM BILL wrote ...

THESE KIDS HAVE NOTHING BETTER TO DO. THEY DON'T HABVE ANY HOME LIFE BECAUSE THERE PARENTS HAVE TO WORK WEEKENDS SO THAT BUSNESSES CAN MAKE ALL THE MONEY. LET'S GO BACK TO WHEN STORES AND BUSNESSES WHERE CLOSED ON SUNDAYS

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Tuesday, Feb 9 at 11:31 AM JOHNNY A wrote ...

YOU HAVE TO LOVE RHODE ISLAND LAWS .AND BLEEDING HEART JUDGES . IMAGIN IF THE HUSBAND SMASH THIS PUNKS FACE , THE JUDGE , WOULD PROBLEY SAY HE SHOULD HAve known better and thrown him in jail for a few years

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Tuesday, Feb 9 at 11:30 AM jackson wrote ...

You all should stay out of Providence its more than you read about in the paper. Its that BAD

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Tuesday, Feb 9 at 11:30 AM Billy wrote ...

In some countries where there is low divorce rate, spitting in front of a disgusting act is common. It is not bad to adopt this in our society as flirting and immorality of married men and women have gone wild.

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Tuesday, Feb 9 at 11:26 AM Married wrote ...

Married man or woman flirting in public may be a spittable thing as well. I don't condone violence or violence for violence. That's why we have law enforcement officers. They are authorized to do whatever that is right to preserve law and order. These weird acting married people need counseling or psychiatric help as the bottom line is emotional insecurity. If they don't go for it, spit in front of them till they get it.

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Tuesday, Feb 9 at 11:21 AM uncleduke316 wrote ...

start chopping their arms off. no jail that builds their street cred and wastes tax payer dollars just chop the arm right the f*&^ OFF. All I saw is the liberals went to work for the interests of the kids. That family didn't get any justice.

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Tuesday, Feb 9 at 11:18 AM Susan wrote ...

Violence must be considered as crime. But spitting in front of a badly behaved woman or man may not be a crime as there are a lot of these weirdos out there needed to be known such behaviors are not socially acceptable. Things such as flirting with a minor may be spittable thing.

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Tuesday, Feb 9 at 11:04 AM ryan wrote ...

adult actions deserve an adult punnishment punch my wife with my baby in her arms would be the last thing they did before i broke there necks to be quadlaplegic.then they have a reminder of manners for the rest of their useless lives

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Tuesday, Feb 9 at 10:50 AM Keysha wrote ...

I dont give a f**k if they are juveniles or not. These little a**holes should of received a tighter sentence! Cases like these are why good people end up in jail....my husband would have killed those kids with his bare hands and he would end up in jail.

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Tuesday, Feb 9 at 10:47 AM Cheesey~ wrote ...

Rhody~ it has nothing to do with bad tv shows..... It's BAD PARENTING!

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Tuesday, Feb 9 at 10:40 AM me wrote ...

punch my wife ur life ends right there no jail for u!!

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Tuesday, Feb 9 at 10:34 AM thinkpt1 wrote ...

Punch my wife in the face you won't make it to court!

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Tuesday, Feb 9 at 10:32 AM Rhody wrote ...

The reason why kids are acting rowdy these days is mostly because of the bad kid TV shows they watch. Most of the shows look like kids and adults are yelling at each other and arguing with despicable double meaning obscene words. These shows must be banned.

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Tuesday, Feb 9 at 10:21 AM what a joke wrote ...

wow 30 days in the nice warm prison with cable and food. what a joke you think they really care. no they do not they will do it again.

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Tuesday, Feb 9 at 10:14 AM Rob Johnson wrote ...

Please stop slapping hands and using the revolvind door in the court rooms

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