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Defendant In Polk Beating Case Wants Restrictions Eased

Associated Press file photo

Mercades Nichols made her first court appearance on April 11.

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By RAY REYES

The Tampa Tribune

Published: June 3, 2008

TAMPA - Mercades Nichols, one of six teens accused of beating Victoria Lindsay and recording the attack so it could be posted online, is seeking permission from a judge to have house arrest and other restrictions lifted.

The modified pretrial release conditions, filed by Nichols' attorney, James Michael Holz, also request that Nichols be allowed to speak to the media about the March 30 incident that captured national headlines.

Nichols' mother, Christina Garcia, said her daughter is planning on doing two things if Circuit Judge Keith Spoto approves the motion filed by Holz, which Spoto is scheduled to hear at 8:30 a.m. today.

"She wants to do a public apology," Garcia said Monday. "She wants to make that statement. And she wants to go back to church."

Nichols and five other girls are accused of attacking Lindsay, while two boys are accused of acting as lookouts and not allowing her to leave a Lakeland house. All eight teens have been charged as adults with kidnapping and misdemeanor battery.

Lindsay, 17, told investigators she was beaten in three rooms of the house and forced to pose for a recording of her injuries. The teens intended to post the beating video on YouTube and MySpace as retaliation for online trash-talking, investigators said.

The attack left Lindsay with swollen black eyes and bruises on other parts of her body, according to the Polk County Sheriff's Office.

According to Holz's motion, Nichols would be allowed to travel under parental supervision; to get a job; have her house arrest eliminated; and to speak publicly about the case, said Chip Thullbery, spokesman for the state attorney's office.

Garcia said her daughter is not a flight risk and her apology would likely be aired or published by local media.

"Basically, she wants to give the public an insider's perspective," Garcia said.

All eight teens will be back in court July 8 for a pretrial hearing.

Reporter Ray Reyes can be reached at (813) 259-7920 or rreyes@tampatrib.com.

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