Donald Thompson, 17, 1926 9 1/2 Street, asked Judge John Hauptman Thursday to reduce the $30,000 bond he is being held on while awaiting trial on charges of hate crime and aggravated battery.
Mr. Thompson has been in the Rock Island County jail since his July 9 arrest. He has pleaded innocent to both charges and is scheduled for trial September 2.
Mr. Thompson said he is on juvenile probation for prior convictions for theft and conspiracy to commit burglary.
Police arrested Mr. Thompson and co-defendant Nicholas McGonigle, 18, 3518 9 1/2 Street, in connection with a July 9 attack in downtown Rock Island.
The victim, a 42-year-old Moline man who is not gay, said he was walking to work about 11 PM that night when he was approached by two teens yelling anti-gay slurs at him. the teens then punched and kicked the man, leaving him with facial cuts and bruises, while calling him "fag" and "gay," police said.
(NOTE: The local television news quoted Judge Hauptman saying from the bench "I have friends who are gay. There is no excuse for behavior such as this")
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