[color="Black"][color="Red"]Large brute attacks; White girl had to have reconstructive surgery on her face

Girl accused of assault in Rifle High fight pleads guilty to lesser charge
Provisions of plea agreement anger the father of other girl involved

By Pete Fowler - Glenwood Springs, CO Colorado - June 27, 2007

GLENWOOD SPRINGS, Colo. — The Hispanic girl accused of second-degree assault after a Rifle High School fight pleaded guilty to a lesser charge of third-degree assault Wednesday.

The plea is part of a plea agreement with the recommendation for a deferred judgment and sentence under one year of probation. If she receives that sentence in an Aug. 8 hearing, stays out of trouble and complies with probation she won’t have the charge on her record. …

John Kuersten says his daughter was brutally attacked, and was extremely upset with the provisions of the plea agreement. “My daughter had to have reconstructive surgery,” he said. “Not to mention the emotional side of it.”

According to Kuersten, the girl who attacked his daughter was in trouble for fighting in another school before. “I’ve got a signed statement from a high school administrator saying she was sent here for fighting in another school,” Kuersten said. “She was here less than a month and does it again. …

The Hispanic girl admitted to attacking Kuersten’s daughter on Feb. 23. The (much larger) Hispanic girl was 16 and Kuersten’s daughter was 14 at the time of the incident. The fight raised questions about racial tension and made headlines statewide.

Kuersten said his[/] daughter had been charged with disorderly conduct and received a deferred judgment and sentence with six months probation. He saw little difference in the punishments despite the other girl playing a larger role in the physical fight. …