LANCASTER – A Los Angeles Superior Court judge has lowered bail and dismissed one of three felony charges against a woman accused of beating another woman over the head with a 20-pound rock on Christmas Day.
During a preliminary hearing Friday, Judge Lisa Mangay Chung dismissed an attempted murder charge against 34-year-old Lachelle Robinson, citing insufficient evidence. However, Robinson was ordered to stand trial on felony charges of assault with a deadly weapon and mayhem. Both charges carry a maximum combined penalty of 12 years in state prison and fines of up to $10,000. Robinson was held on $400,000 bail, reduced from the $1 million she had been held on since her arrest on December 25.
“I’m not happy because they lowered her bail,” said alleged victim Jacqueline Hughes, 49. “But I don’t think she is going to come up with the money.”
On Dec. 25, 2011, Robinson allegedly hit Hughes in the head with a rock, the size of a bowling ball, while Hughes lay on the ground, deputies said.
“You can imagine, you’re lying on the ground and somebody takes a large boulder and smashes you in the forehead with it,” Lancaster Sheriff’s Station spokesman Michael Rust said previously.
Read more on what happened that day and events that lead up to the incident here.
At Friday’s preliminary hearing, a wheelchair-bound Hughes was one of four people who gave sworn testimony. Robinson’s defense attorney, Stacie Halpern, questioned Hughes about whether she had a weapon during the incident. Hughes said she did not. Hughes was also questioned about the rock used in the incident and other minor details.
“I don’t know if they were trying to trip me up, but I was truthful, so there is no way in the world they can trip me up,” Hughes said after the hearing. “I said the same thing I’ve been saying since I woke up in the hospital.”
Hughes said, since the incident, she has been having nightmares and has hardly left the house.
“I’m looking at the door constantly, if I hear a car I’m thinking they could just come up here shooting in the window,” Hughes said. “I fear for my life.”
Robinson is due back in court on Jan. 20 for felony arraignment.
krissy says
It’s a shame how a person can defame your name and lie to the police when in fact Jaqueline Hughes was clearly the agressor. For those of you who don’t know, the lie does seem good. It just doesn’t make since you tell me what Black person is going to run outside if their husband is running inside from being beat in the back by all these men. You took the law in your on hands and now your the victim? Lachelle Robinson was defending herself. As Black older women living in a city such as Lancaster we should be teaching our children the right things instead of teaching them to fight so one is wrong for defending themselves when there under attack? Reading this article and the one from Dec.25,2011 just seems to me Ms. Hughes shouldn’t have allowed the two young ladies to fight from the begining. What type of parent would condone to this type of behavior when her grandchild is in presence. It should have been stop from the begining.
Stinger says
Justice in the AV Courthouse: Beat someone nearly to death on Christmas Day, get your bail REDUCED by 60%. Speak your mind in the Lancaster City Council chambers, get your bail INCREASED by 500%!
Yes indeed, what a Christian community Lancaster is…