REMINDER: Gay-Bashing Suspects Due In Court Tuesday for Preliminary Hearing

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UPDATE: A judge held the defendants for trial on all charges, with victim Zachary Hesse testifying in open court. Read the full story here.

ORIGINAL:

Attorneys for Kevin Harrigan, Kathryn Knott, and Phillip Williams, the three suspects in the attack on two gay men in Center City on September 11th, will attend a preliminary hearing tomorrow, Tuesday, December 16th, at 9 a.m. with Judge Charles Hayden.

Here’s what we can expect to happen: The case will be brought before a municipal court judge to determine if there was probable cause to arrest the suspects in September. Attorney for Kevin Harrigan, Josh Scarpello, tells me, “we won’t decide the truth of the matter in that first hearing. It is a probable-cause hearing to establish if the case should go to trial.”

Scarpello confirms that all three defendants have pleaded not guilty.

District Attorney’s office spokesperson Tasha Jamerson tells me chief assistant district attorney of the central unit, Michael Barry, is prosecuting the case. During the preliminary hearing he will present all evidence, and the judge will hear testimony from witnesses, police, and the complainants and defendants. “The judge will listen to both sides and determine if there is enough to hold them to trial,” Jamerson says.

If the case goes to trial — and if no plea bargain is reached — Scarpello suggests that there might not be a trial date until well into the new year. “The earliest would be February or March,” he says. “If it’s scheduled to be a jury trial, it could take even longer.”

Here’s a rundown of the charges:

Kevin J. Harrigan

Aggravated Assault

Conspiracy

Simple Assault

Recklessly Endangering Another Person

Philip R. Williams

Aggravated Assault

Conspiracy

Simple Assault

Recklessly Endangering Another Person

Kathryn G. Knott