Plea Bargain Sought in Hate Crimes Case

Federal prosecutors and defense lawyers are negotiating a plea agreement to avoid another trial for two Glendale brothers who are accused of trying to drive a biracial family out of their predominantly white neighborhood, it was disclosed in court Monday.

“The parties are attempting to resolve this case so there won’t be another trial,” Assistant U.S. Atty. Michael Gennaco told federal Judge Ronald S.W. Lew.

A tentative trial date of Sept. 28 was set in case no settlement is reached in the hate crime case against Philip Alexander, 22, and his brother, Steven, 20.

“I do fully anticipate this matter resolving,” said Steven’s lawyer, Edward Robinson.

A mistrial was declared last month after a jury deadlocked on felony charges that the brothers violated the civil rights of Susan Shumate, a white woman, and her two sons and boyfriend, all of whom are black.

But the panel convicted Steven Alexander, a school dropout and convicted burglar, on two counts of interfering with the family’s rights under the federal Fair Housing Act, which are misdemeanors.

The case involves two confrontations between the Alexander brothers and the Shumate family in the spring of 1998. Prosecutors said the brothers accosted Shumate and her sons, Andre, 21, and Demoad, 18, on May 5, 1998, as they walked home from Crescenta Valley Park.

The Alexanders allegedly shouted racial slurs and white power slogans as they told the family they did not belong in the neighborhood.

The brothers disputed the Shumates’ story and testified that Demoad helped instigate the confrontation by throwing his arms into the air as a sign of challenge as the brothers drove by.

On the witness stand, Shumate said that both Alexander brothers uttered racial slurs, but her son, Andre, testified that only Steven did.

The second episode occurred about a month later when Shumate and her boyfriend, Mark Slider, saw Philip Alexander on the street as they were driving home. Slider said he stopped and confronted Alexander about the earlier incident.

Slider said the atmosphere turned ugly a few minutes later when Steven Alexander approached with a few friends. Fearing for his safety, Slider said, he retreated to his car and started the engine, but Steven Alexander stood in front, daring Slider to hit him.

As Slider put the car in gear, Steven Alexander allegedly leaped on the hood and smashed the car’s windshield. Meanwhile, Philip Alexander reached through the open driver’s window and ripped Slider’s jacket. Philip said he did so only to prevent “my stupid little brother from getting hurt.”

Steven broke his arm when he fell from the car as it pulled away. Prosecutors said the brothers then conspired to have Slider arrested by filing a false hit-and-run report against him with the Glendale police. Several of the Alexanders’ companions testified that Philip threatened them into going along with the fabricated story.