
Kim Hairston / Kim Hairston, Baltimore Sun
Left to right, Avi Werdesheim, 20, and, Eliyalu Eliezer Werdesheim, 23, charged with assaulting a black teenager while members of Shomrim, a Jewish neighborhood patrol group, leave the Circuit Court after their arraignment.
Two brothers accused of beating a black teenager in Baltimore, Md., while patrolling for an Orthodox Jewish neighborhood watch are seeking to postpone their trial that had been set to begin Monday because of publicity comparing their case to the Trayvon Martin shooting.
Defense attorney Andrew Alperstein requested the delay on behalf of Eliyahu and Avi Werdesheim, saying there were similarities and significant differences between the two cases, but it could be difficult for jurors to separate them as details of the Martin case come out.
In the Martin case, 28-year-old George Zimmerman, a neighborhood watch volunteer, claimed he shot the 17-year-old Martin in self-defense on Feb. 26. Prosecutors later charged Zimmerman with second-degree murder. The shooting sparked protests nationwide, as well as debates about the laws and race. Martin was black; Zimmerman is the son of a white father and Hispanic mother.
"We believe a delay until the [George] Zimmerman matter settles down would be in the best interests of justice," Alperstein said, The Baltimore Sun reported.
Baltimore Circuit Court Judge Sylvester B. Cox, who did not make a ruling, ordered the brothers to return Tuesday morning, according to the Baltimore Sun.
The Werdesheims, who are white and Jewish, have claimed self-defense in the 2010 incident, saying the teen was holding a board studded with nails. The trial has already been postponed six times.
The Werdesheims are accused of beating a 15-year-old boy who was walking through a Baltimore neighborhood in November 2010. The brothers pulled up next to the teen in a vehicle, then got out and surrounded him, according to charging documents. The passenger threw the teen to the ground and the driver hit him in the head with a hand-held radio and patted him down.
Zimmerman's attorney apologizes for client's apology to Trayvon Martin's parents
The teen remembered the driver yelling, "You wanna (mess) with us, you don't belong around here, get outta here!" according to court documents, which do not identify which brother was driving.
The teen was cut on the back of his head and had a broken wrist, according to court documents, the Associated Press reported. The teen later identified Eliyahu Werdesheim, now 24, as one of the men who assaulted him. He was arrested after about 10 days; his now 21-year-old brother was charged two months later.
The brothers are charged with second-degree assault, false imprisonment and carrying a deadly weapon (the hand-held radio). The pair face up to 13 years in prison if convicted on all three counts.
Eliyahu Werdesheim has been suspended from the neighborhood group while Avi was never a member, according to Baltimore officials.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
More content from msnbc.com and NBC News:


"white and jewish" ? OK, thanks for pointing that out. now we know sammy davis jr and rod carew werent involved. thank god zimmerman isnt jewsish, would be quite the mouthful for msnbc
This will be fair because we all can afford lawyers that are connected enough to get 6 court delays. 2 twenty yr.olds jump out of a car to confront a 15 yr old. No race card needed here. I think I need to go on patrol in Baltimore.
Don't like the taste of your own bitter medicine, Relly? Anyway....
"Herman Cain" is right. This case should have gone to trial a long time ago. And, the teen who was assaulted should have sued the family of those nazis. Obviously, the "just-us system" is unwilling to give him justice.
While I appreciate the attorneys desire, it still leaves me questioning one thing previously reported.
When the victim notified the police and showed him potential suspects photos, he was able to point out I believe Eliyalu... which would indicate to me at least that Eliyalu had previous encounters with the Baltimore Police. They usually cull those photos from police mug shots. So it appears that Eliyalu is not the innocent that his attorney will try to portray him as.
However, as in the Martin/Zimmerman incident, I'll reserve judgement until ALL the evidence is available.
Interesting, I don't remember MSN showing a photo of one of the 30 or more black thugs who shot other blacks in the South side of Chicago a couple of weeks ago. Not even names. I guess the NBP's, Jesse, Al, and Eric are fine with that.
54buick2228134 your just 1 big assssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssss.
You sir, are correct - neither did we see a picture of the friend (?) VP Cheney shot in the face - then made him apologize for getting in the line of fire.
Gun violence is funny that way..
If you managed to not see the guy Cheney shot then you must have tried really hard to not see him.
Are Jews considered part of the white majority, a separate white minority, or simply their own ethnic group? It's confusing for me as I don't know whether to lament about white on black crime or Jew on black crime in this case. Normally, when whites are vilified as a racist group, they are called right wingnuts, neo-Nazis or Red State KKK reactionaries. Those descriptions don't seem to fit in this case.
Actually, I am tired of reading about every violent crime that involves more than one race as though race is the single motivating factor behind most violent felonies. I wonder how many white on white or black on black crimes are ignored in favor of media coverage of crimes that are more likely to spark deep racial anger.
Jews are their own ethnic group. There are Jews who are indeed black, although they are not a large part of the group. There are also Arab and Hispanic Jews.
This is not about, all the thugs, who get away. Its about one teen aged boy ( by all accounts, not a thug ) Walking thru his neighborhood, minding his own business, and ending up in the ER with a broken wrist, and cuts to the back of his head. The neighborhood in question, is really 4+ neighborhoods, with at least as many "Watches". By and large the"Watches" do good work. However "non-thugs" being accosted in this area, is not unheard of. Good thing there were 2 adults (who didn't know what they were doing) there. Otherwise the kid might have prevailed and some one might have ended up, really hurt.
WTF? "carrying a deadly weapon (the hand-held radio)"
An 6, 8 - 12 cell flash light can be a weapon.Its listed as one in the neighborhood watch guidelines book as prohibited weapons.
Either you are playing ignorant or more likely - are a professional.
everyone-5471391
When you pick up a rock, a stick or a hand held radio and beat someone with it, that object becomes a deadly weapon. If he had a broken wrist he could have had a crushed in skull. Which could result in death. The confusion you feel could be a result of not reading or understanding the article. Try imagining yourself being beaten then maybe you could agree that the "weapon" of choice could be life threatening. Just a thought.
Any object could be used as a weapon but they can't charge a person with "carrying a deadly weapon" if it is just a common object that they would normally carry.
once you strike someone with an object it becomes a deadly weapon
People have been charged with weapons offenses even if they legally have a right to own the weapon. Why? Because they have committed a crime and used the weapon while doing so. Having a radio is not illegal nor is it normally considered an instrument of crime, but if it is used illegally, like these two oafs did...
@E.man, agreed.
10 deleted, End_Welfare banned, rereg of summer-4089363.
Thanks Tyler
I just stepped back in a couple minutes ago after months of being gone and thought the whole Vine had gone to pot. Thanks for catching that. There's a couple more here you might want to look at.
<Grin> Wouldn't you feel better posting that Anti-Black propaganda on "Stormfront" End_Welfare?
USA..what an ass wipe...
The need for another delay in this trial is unsubstantiated. Its just another step in "The Lawyers' Dance."
I would say they have a pretty good chance, considering all the media attention Zimmerman has had. If it's not granted, they could argue they are unable to have a fair trial. No one wants that to happen. Lawyers want so badly for their cases to be pushed back. In fact the typical lawyer tries to push their case back multiple years, so witnesses and officers are less likely to remember.
They have already conjured up SIX delays in this case. It is evident that they are are attempting to thwart justice by wearing down the victim and witnesses. Any attempt to claim undue influence as a result of the Martin/Zimmerman case is weak and appears desperate. Perhaps if they had not delayed this case so many times it would have been resolved BEFORE the Martin/Zimmerman incident happened...
"Justice Delayed is Justice Denied" MLK Jr...
after 5 postponements... going on #6, waiting for what - all non-jews to leave town so they can get a "fair trial"?
Their hopes are similiar to the new driver .... siting at a STOP sign patiently for 2 hours ... cause the sign hadn't changed to Green.
Beoweolf. No, just hoping that people will not remember so clearly, be able to catch them on contradicting statements, and have a better chance of winning.
Justice should be swift and not postponed just because there might be some similarities in one case vs. another case. The victim was not afforded the opportunity to have his assult postponed due to any similarities with and other senseless beatings.
I am definitely with you, justice delayed is justice denied.
Are you missing something? The teen was holding a board studded with nails. MSNBC calls it a board but all other news outlets call it a club. If someone was in my neighborhood with a board or club studded with nails, I would kick his butt too. What do you think he was doing there looking for a hook up? If he wasn't black would we even have this discussion? When is it OK for members of a watch group to stop a problem from happening? When someone is killed or crippled?
@onesmartcokkie1 if your so smart then use your brain...the police report says the kid picked up the board after he was confronted by 3 people to defend himself.....and even if thas not the case theres nothing illegal about walking with a stick...i see whites do it all the time when their out walking around...its called a staff...in case a stray dog or some nut case like these brothers run up on you...or he could have been picking up liter.....another racsit nut you are...its only bad because a black child was holding the board
onesmartcookie1, Either your screen name is wishful thinking or you are intentionally ignoring a key point. What threat was the teen to any of the men who assaulted him if they had REMAINED IN THEIR VEHICLES? They had a radio to call police and report what they saw. Even if the kid did have this"weapon" before being threatened by these oafs, what was the risk to them IF THEY DID NOT CONFRONT HIM? Why did they get close enough to claim that they were at risk? You cannot start a confrontation and then claim self defense...
HeroWolf speaks only truth
It's an indication of the poor education system that so many can't read and understand simple sentences.
onesmartcookie1
Do you simply not understand that "watch groups" are simply that? They are set up to observe and report, not to attack and subdue. It they touched this young man or threatened in any way they are guilty of a crime. The police are there to interrogate and apprehend suspected criminals.
Really, how dare this young man pick up a stick to defend himself from others who jump out of their car to beat him to the ground? And a third man holding him down? He should have just grabbed one of their guns and shot himself.
I think these guys should be in jail. But honestly "picked up the board to defend himself" I'm not sure where you guys live but never, ever have I seen a club, studded with nails lying on the street in my neighborhood. ??
That's a brilliant point, Just because!
I'll bet the attorneys sure are glad someone else claiming to be on "neighborhood watch" happened to shoot to kill. Gives them another excuse...
Sad sad sad. For all the bad things and injustices that happen out there, the USA is still the greatest country in the world. We may not agree, but at least we talk about it. Racism does not discriminate and until each and everyone of us have the chutzpah to admit that we ALL have our prejudices and to be willing to work on them there will be no change. Just look in the mirror. That is the problem.
Tthe riots and looting will follow shortly.
@wrworstnitemare most likely by the white community
these guys are definitely NOT part of the Jewish culture. I can't believe that the Jewish people, as a whole, would not understand what it is like to be profiled and discriminated against. These two are just losers.
really? why don't you ask the Palestinians what its like to live in Israel? Please don't serve me up some crap about Israel's security, the sad fact of the matter is that Jews in Israel act just like their former oppressors in Europe in regards to their Palestinian neigbors.
Steve, your comments are the comments of an imbecile. You don't know the first thing about Israel or the conflict but your willing to open your pot hole that you call a mouth and spew your racism. Shame on you, get educated and then express views that actually make sense.
onesmartcookie1
Is there a chance that you can comment without calling people names or trying to degrade them? There is supposed to be a code of conduct here, that you were supposed to agree to when signing up, maybe you should go back and check it out.
remind me not to buy in a neighborhood with a Gestapo neighborhood watch. These watch guys are usually ex-military and power hungry, even for a post like that.
Neighborhood Watch programs are out of hand. Filled with want to be police officers.
So,every one every where?Hmmm,idk
While living in MI, I was part of a watch group. We were instructed to be alert, walk the neighborhood with a friend or two and if anything/anyone looked suspicious, we were to contact the Sheriff's office to provide the info. That was it. To say they are out of hand is perhaps an exaggeration. It was a bunch of men and women, all ages, no self-proclaimed Rambo wannabe's.
I am personally opposed to all violent crimes. Don't quite understand all these other posts. I think everyone needs to get a grip.
Oh,we're on the blog where everyone is FOR all violent crimes
I look fwd to the day some white MF gets in my face, he will regret it for 400 years.
@onesmartcookie1 i'll leave an informed comment for you....
1st these brothers are not JEWS...to be a JEW you have to be born of the HOUSE OF JUDAH , this way and this way only can you be a JEW...JEW is an acronim for JUDAH...these so-called JEWS are ASHKANAZI-KAHZARS who adopted the faith in the late 9th century...the so-called ISRAEL of today are not the true people of ISRAEL...it was all apart of a scheme to take control of that land...thats why during world war 2 the whole holocost idea was thought up by a so-called JEW...im not saying that the holocost didnt happen but its main person was a ZIONIST....they are not SEMITIC...SEMITIC is a EUROPEAN term used to denote ones language....SEMITES are not a race of people never have been...
2nd any person who trys to defend these brothers or ZIMMERMAN are truly the agents of SATAN himself...because only SATAN would try and defend VIOLENCE....
THE ZIONIST IN SO CALLED ISRAEL are agents of the DEVIL and will be stoped...murdering people rapeing women,bombing children....they are very very sick people...the WHITES in AMERICA are starting to show there hatered again for a simple reason...their sense of entitlement has been stripped away....the death that these people have spread around the globe the past 1000 years is sick....lets look at some white crimes...
NATURE:oil spills(all done by white corps),pollution of our air,water,and land,space junk,destruction of thr rain forest,extinction of the dodo birds,whales,eagles,tazmania tigers,bengal tigers and so much more its sick...
ASIA:atomic bomb,agent orange,colonialism,bombay occupation,vietnam,hong kong occupation,rape,murder,drone attacks in pakistan,russian-afghan war,and so much more its sick...
AFRICA:colonialism,rape,murder,sharpesville massacre,angola campaigns,zulu campaigns,spread of aids by the catholic church,dutch boer war,burning of timbuktu,gold coast massacre,portugesse death squads in mozambique,apartih,and so much more its sick...
AMERICA: colonialism,trail of tears,fort laramie massacre,cheyenne massacre,spread of small pox to steal the iraquious lands,bombing of black wall street,ultra violen ultra racism in the 50s and 60s,riots in the 20s and 30s,bombings of churches,mississippi(nuff said),brutal slavery,total destruction of the aztec and inca people,murder of the arawaks,and so much more its sick...
EUROPE:holocost,inqusistion,world war 1 and 2,white death plauge,100 year war,lancaster war,french revaloution,russian revaloution,napoleon wars,roman death squads,war in croatia,and so much more its sick...
and all this alone accounted for 100s of millions of dead people...and these are the people that say us as NUBIANS are evil that we are criminal....only a fool or uneducated person would agree with them...
i am writing a THESIS called (HAS AMERICA DRIVEN THE YOUNG BLACK MAN TO THE BRINK OF INSANITY)
my brothers tell me the truth, when you step out your door in the morning do you not feel trapped,hunted,depressed,alone,like the world is closing in on you? like its hard to breath, like the enemies fangs are dripping with venom, ready to sink its teeth of death and destruction into you...all the years of being hunted,blamed for americas problems,being subject to false witness by those who wish to shame us in front of the entire world,all the years of being handed down life long sentences while whites get slaps on the wrist...has this not made you go INSANE.................YHWH FOREVER
Don't worry,we'll see to you.Your thesis may want to cover laziness,false bravado,machismo,assuming respect where none is earned,yapping endlessly so that is tries to pass for logic,etc.You are seriously messed in the head.Yes,me and all my friends and their families have comitted genocide,took over nations,owned slaves.Don't act like one,don't be one,and don't wear a hoodie at night in the wrong part of town.Ps you'd still be living in a F ing hut with goats if someone LONG AGO brought your people here
@pained1 all of what you said only applys to the caucasians race.....and as far as seeing me...bring ot on...your now dealing with an adult...not a 15 year old or 17 year old like TRAYVON MARTIN(R.I.P little brother) but a MAN...who has no problem giving you the business...
@pained1 lol grass hut please my people built cities while your people were still in the caucasus mtns...grass huts were in the rural area just like in europe...but cities like MEMPHIS,LUXOR,THEBES,GAO,BENIN,TIMBUKTU,MOZAMBIQUE,MALI,CARTHAGE,SIDON,TYRE,AKKAD,BABYLON are all testment to my people...we taught your people everything you know...we built this nations capitol and drew up the blueprints...LANGUAGE,AGRICULTURE,SCIENCE,MEDICENE,DOMESTICATION OF WILDLIFE,CULINARY SKILLS,MATHMATICS,COSMETICS and so much more all thanks to the BLACK MAN...
YOU DONT WEAR THAT CONFEDERATE FLAG ON YOUR HAT,JACKET,OR TRUCK who knows you might get shot behind it
How many times are you going to cut and paste the same thing? There's nothing you wrote that white people did that really bothered me, except the extinction of the dodo bird. That was sick man.
Yes,"your" culture DID that.Then you devolved back to-whatever you are.Not a southerner.The black man-thx 4 peanut butter,what else ya got?
@Roodles @pained1 i will type the samething as man times as i like...my people did all that and more....devolved...LOL we created your people through genetic manipulation..
Living in a F ing hut with goats might have been better than dealing with the devils that have been running and have ruined this country. The white man has ALWAYS been in power and made policy, no one else, if things are so F'ed up, its who's fault? Yeah right, yours devil.
Yeah,all us white folk just rollin in the dough.Please,when we have the troubles YOU want,let us know.You didn't even speak to the attributes I mentioned that MOST black males have ,are taught ,and emulate
How quickly we get off topic. Since some of you are having such a time, recognizing the real enemy.
Love your neighbor, Like you love yourself. (If you don't Love yourself, work on that)
Re: Recognizing your neighbor; That's the person that would pick your child up, off the ground,
as quickly as they would pick up their own.
Work for Justice. The chest thumping, shooting, and other mayhem has not worked.
EXCUSE ME! Do JEWISH MEN have special privileges in the USA?! NO WHITE CHRISTIAN males would be permitted changes of venue in such a case!!!!!!!
If these men's trial hadn't been postponed multiple times, it wouldn't now be affected by the Zimmerman publicity. However, since there were two or three of them (regardless of race or religion) vs. one of him (regardless of race) and he is alive to tell his side, the issues aren't nearly the same. Hopefully the judge will see it that way.
HeroWolf speaks only the truth - what you say MAY be the truth, but it is only PART of the truth. There are NO races or religions or geographical areas where the natives are innocent. They ALL committed what we today consider atrocities. White people's are more commonly known because they were recorded in English. If you looked at original ancient Arabic, Egyptian or Chinese (to name only a few who kept records), you would find similar atrocities. People today should be judged by their own actions and not by those of others, whether committed last year or 10,000 years ago. If you are truly writing a thesis, you will write a better one if it is a balanced and scholarly report instead of an obviously bitter and biased one. If you speak the truth, you should speak the ENTIRE truth, not just what suits your personal and immediate purposes.
@mtkirinyaga i give you my word, i will try my hardest to make it unbiases and balanced....please dont use the term "egyptian" the proper term would be KEMET "LAND OF THE BLACK SOIL" im mot trying to be your teacher or anything, its just egyptian comes from the roman that invaded and took over in 164 b.c....and is not what true "egyptians called their homeland...just like africa comes from a roman invader...the true name would be WASET....but you seem SMART...thanks for your input
to all the racist idiots out there:
young black americans commit a diproprtionate amount of crime in this country, especially violents crime.
If you are going to be robbed, assaulted, burgularized, or any other property or violent crime, chances are better than even it will be a black person. that is a fact. police reports, arrest, conviction and prison records all support it.
why? everyone knows there are socio-economic, education, fewer options for improvement, and other issues, and not race that causes this. but the fact remains, blacks are more likely to be violent and criminally inclined. you see it in the culture (gang dress, gangsta rap,) and it becomes a reality. there is little stigma among blacks over criminal convictions, or run ins with the criminal justice system. it is an unfortunate fact of black inner-city culture that young men go to jail as often, or more often, than they go to college. its just the way it is. blaming it on race/discrimination rather than what it really is (bad people doing bad things) insures it will continue.
so when two jewish guys confront a black teen who is carrying a club, they have a reasonable expectation the individual is a violent criminal. nonetheless, i would expect they would have done the same if the club was in the hand of a white kid, an asian kid, or hispanic kid.
these kinds of problems within an ethnic or racial group are not simply because they are a different color, or worship a different god. obviously the reasons are more complex, but it does not preclude a rational person from making assumptions in a stressful situation.
sorry. white people have a reason to believe that any black they confront is more likely to be a criminal than a white person. I know several black business owners who will admit openly that they instinctively are more concerned when a black kid enters their store than a white kid. does that make them racist? no, it makes them sensible and aware that statistically they have a greater likelyhood of a problem.
no one wants to talk about black on black crime, or black on white crime.
until the "black community" takes a some responsibility for the fact that their members are twice as likely to commit a crime, and stop blaming everything on racism, it will not get any better. i suspect many blacks in jail think they are there because of the white "man" rather than for what they did.
over the long term, unless there is some change, guys like zimmerman, these jews, the guy that shot the muggers on the NYC train a number of years ago, will be viewed as heros.
Statistics are statistics...
The point of law is simple. Did this individual do what he is accused of? If not then he is not guilty. If every white had to pay for the colonialism in every country invaded by, conquered by, pillaged by every Western European nation ... there wouldn't be many left to go around.
Keep your statistics, bring them out when you are ready to balance the books..
You want facts? Then lets go back further than yesterday at 10:00 am. Based on Glacial time that was just a sausage fart you passed. Time measured since the great migration is where the answer lies.
You sound like like Southern aristocrats explaining how happy their slaves are, after being rescued from freedom. Ah frankly don't know how they survived before we brought them to the Plantation.
The English fought the Romans not because the Romans didn't offer a better life, a better legal system, better technology or better laws. They fought them because they resisted being abused.
The thing you don't understand about Blacks is ... you'll never find a better friend or a more intransigent enemy. They never forget a kindness or forgive a grievous slight... ever. Residuals always lurk under the film which covers civility.