Disabled "Fight Club" Trial Begins

(AP)  Jury selection began Monday in the trial of the first of six former employees charged in connection with orchestrated late-night fights among residents at a Texas state facility for the developmentally disabled.

Jesse Salazar, 25, was charged with injury to a disabled person after being spotted along with other staff members at the Corpus Christi State School in almost 20 videos of forced bouts that police called a "fight club."

Salazar's trial was delayed for a month while a co-defendant challenged whether the graphic cell phone videos that were turned in to police could be admitted into evidence. Those videos are expected to be some of the most compelling evidence at Salazar's trial.

Prosecutors lined up a key witness Friday when Vincent Johnson, who was scheduled to stand trial with Salazar, pleaded guilty to a lesser charge of negligently or recklessly injuring a disabled person for not stopping the fights. Johnson received a suspended two-year jail sentence and promised to testify against the other defendants.

The trial of a third defendant, Guadalupe Delarosa Jr., was postponed Friday because his lawyer had a scheduling conflict.

Eleven staff members were identified in the videos. Six were charged. The videos showed that residents were forced to fight each other for the staff's entertainment. Residents locked each other in choke holds, tumbled to the floor and were kicked and prodded by school employees.

At the time, Adelaide "Addie" Horn, head of the agency charged with overseeing the state schools, called the fights "unconscionable" and said the initial cause appeared to be a lack of supervision on the overnight shift. Guards to provide around-the-clock security were hired and trained.

Horn announced in June that she would retire as Department of Aging and Disability Services commissioner at the end of August.

[barbaram99]

THIS IS NOT FUNNY. I am appalled at the young that think this is a joking matter when it is not. People seem to think that behaviour is fine when is not. Would ye like yer hair pulled by a staff and dragged accross the floor. They do things etc like that knowing the persons can't skeak for themselves. Staff being mean and controling. I think not.It happens every day.Sp needs persons who are abused and that is appalling and rude.

[barbaram99]

This is apalling. The staff allowed this ? Someome needed to stop it when it started. It is not just TX. I got out of a blind center back east. It was awful. They got staff off the streets to work there. They did not know what the needs of us were nor cared. I heard stuff that went on. They abused a lady in front of me. I was appalled. They did stuff that should ever allowed to happen. With help I lrft never to go back. We all were used in one way or another. I think they renamed the place after I left. 2 stsff went to prisom for killings they did there,Thet wrote their tickets.

[Brandywine33]

by Anti-Zionist_115 August 10, 2009 4:14 PM EDT
LOL LOL LOL
This is great im sorry.
You guys obviously haven't been around the internet for to long.
_________________________________
I've been around the internet for quite some time, and if you think there is something funny about what these low-lifes did to the residents then you need some serious help.

[Anti-Zionist_115]

LOL LOL LOL
This is great im sorry.
You guys obviously haven't been around the internet for to long.

[Brandywine33]

I hope they throw the book at these low-lifes for forcing the residents to fight for their entertainment. Sick, very sick. It makes you wonder who is really developmentally challenged, the residents or the losers working there doing this incredibly morbid act of stupidity.

[mnbrant]

Wow that is sick. Fights do occur in these places. but those staff needed to stop that behavior. Texas. heh. Ok I don't know much about Texas but the location gave me a laugh.

[shdwsclan]

These fights sound to be awesomely comical...I hope they make it to DVD....