Grand Jury Indicts Spencerport, N.Y Man in Hate Crime

A grand jury has indicted Jesse Parsons of Spencerport, N.Y. for a brutal attack five months ago that left Lance Neve with a fractured skull, nose, upper jaw and eye socket. This Thursday, Parsons will be arraigned in Monroe County court. He is charged with second-degree assault designated as a hate crime.

Parsons has been directed to not comment on the case. His attorney, Mark Young, says this was a bar fight, not a hate crime, and claims his client was not aware that Neve was gay. Young says the charge should be second-degree assault.

"This is not an average bar fight," said Ogden Police Department Investigator Scott Okolowicz. "The victim was brutally beaten in a bar, and it was because [he is gay]."

If convicted, Parsons could face three-and-a-half to 15 years in prison.