By Ryan Steal
Last week, an Indiana judge ordered that a Black man be slapped with criminal charges in connection with a July 2020 racially motivated attack at Lake Monroe. The judge further ordered that the Black man, who was supposedly the victim in the attack, no longer be represented by a public defender.
In August, a special prosecutor accused Vauhxx Booker, 38, with battery causing moderate physical injury, as well as felony and misdemeanor criminal trespass. Earlier this month, Johnson County Superior Court Judge Lance Hamner granted the Monroe County Public Counsel’s Office’s plea to deny Booker a public defender.
The July 4, 2020, which was filmed and widely circulated on social media, was characterized by an altercation involving Booker and several others. After a verbal confrontation near Lake Monroe, many people surrounded Booker, apparently attempting to tie him to a tree.
Following the viral incident, Booker raised more than $36,000 in donations through GoFundMe. He’s now facing prosecution in Monroe Circuit Court. After Booker stated during a hearing that he was jobless and had less than $500 in funds, Hamner granted Booker public defender representation in October.
To acquire a public defender in Indiana, a person must tell the judge that he or she cannot afford to retain an attorney and supply the court with details about his or her financial position, according to a state-run website.
In the days following the incident, a friend of Booker’s, Ashley Cranor, launched the account. “The intention of this campaign is to raise funds to allow Vauhxx to address his needs as he recovers,” Cranor wrote. She stated that Booker will require the funds for medical expenses, legal bills, and counseling to “deal with being assaulted being Black in America.”
Booker was at the lake with his pals on the day of the incident when another party approached and claimed they were on private land. Booker stated that he and his buddies continued on their route, but later encountered other members of the group.
Members in the group used ATVs to block entry points, and the situation escalated when some of the men began screaming “white power,” according to Booker. He and a friend were allegedly attempting to flee when he was accosted by two individuals. Booker claimed he was carried toward a tree and pushed against it while the men cried, “Get a noose!” many times.
Booker is now left with the options of asking the court to reconsider his denial of a public defender, hire his own attorney, or represent himself.
