Vigilante justice assault suspect appears in Ardmore courtroom Save Email Print
Posted: 12:54 PM Sep 2, 2008
Last Updated: 5:08 PM Sep 2, 2008
Reporter: KXII-TV Staff
Email Address: firstnews@kxii.com

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ARDMORE, Okla. -- One of the identical twin brothers accused of a brutal attack was in an Ardmore courtroom Tuesday morning.

Colby Chase McGinnis, 18, is facing assault and battery charges after a July incident in which another young man was spanked more than 250 times with a studded leather belt. Authorities say the attack was an attempt at vigilante justice.

The incident happened July 23 at a home in the 900 block of west main in Ardmore. Investigators believe alleged ringleader 29-year-old Ronnie Morris was angry at the victim for allegedly forging hot checks in Morris' name. They say the trio of men confronted the victim, taking the law into their own hands, becoming judge and jury, and then giving the victim a choice of punishment ranging from dismemberment, to graphic mutilation, to hundreds of brutal lashes across the backside.

Police say Colby and Jeremiah McGinnis, both 18 years old, and Morris, took turns administering lashes to the unidentified victim.

"Out of 19 years in law enforcement , I haven't seen anyone spanked this severely like the victim was. He had severe bruising on his buttock areas," Capt. Kevin Woods of the Ardmore Police Department said in July.

McGinnis appeared for a preliminary conference. The three other suspects in the case, 18-year-old Jeremiah McGinnis, 22-year-old Ronnie Morris, and 29-year-old Rolanda Braxton, are set to go before a judge on Wednesday.

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Posted by: M.M. Location: Ardmore on Sep 10, 2008 at 11:39 PM
liz from ardmore i completely agree with you and i wish this case would have more accurate information before rushing to publicize and pinning them all with the same charges. this incident has many hidden details and the information revealed so far is off by a milestone. and charging the twins (2- 18year olds approx. 150 lbs) with assult against a man 3 times their size. come on. and the victum was let off easy for the agressive behavior he was expressing. and do you really think the stolen checkbook was the only reason the three were upset. i assure you it wasn't. and even though this could be handled better i do give our law enforcement credit because if nothing else they are trying to see that justice is served

Posted by: James Location: Sherman on Sep 6, 2008 at 02:36 PM
When my mother was a child she "borrowed" a sliver of lie soap from a neighbor to wash her dolls dress. That neighbor beat her with a belt all the way back home, about half a mile down an old country road. When they got there my grandmother sent her out back to cut a peach switch which she then used on her backside to reinforce the law. She got the message and never took anything that didn't belong to her ever again. Tough love, you bet. Abuse, probably. Effective, absolutely. In our politically correct world of today parents are not allowed to discipline their children in any way other than god forbid a "time out". If corporal punishment were allowed when kids are young enough to have it make a difference in their lives our jails would not be as full. Now, before the children's rights advocates start howling please understand that I do not condone the use of beatings as discipline. There is however a huge difference between beatings and spankings. This was a beating.

Posted by: SE Location: Bryan on Sep 6, 2008 at 12:46 PM
Ptarmigan, I agree with you. If they were in the shoes of the victim they would have a different view. It's not like it was a VIOLENT crime he commited in the first place.

Posted by: Mork Location: Ork on Sep 6, 2008 at 12:34 PM
You guys are funny - "spot on" and funny! Feed 'em fish heads!

Posted by: Ardmoreite Location: Ardmore on Sep 5, 2008 at 02:28 PM
Ptarmigan, go share your liberal views with Obama! The guy shouldn't have been stealing and writing hot checks! As someone said it's tough love!

Posted by: JJ Location: sherman on Sep 5, 2008 at 11:11 AM
This was disgusting! oh and what is up with these young teenagers doing hanging with these wannabe old a** people.Lateley it seems these young people are getting in more trouble with older adults than kids their own age.

Posted by: Abdullahi Yusuf Ahmed Location: Somlia on Sep 5, 2008 at 08:47 AM
Wow! What a tough crowd! How did we get drawn into this?

Posted by: Ptarmigan Location: Ardmore on Sep 5, 2008 at 08:07 AM
Regardless of whether he "did it" or not, in this country there exists such a thing as the rule of law. These individuals are benefitting from it in the form of a jury trial and due process, which is more than the alleged victim seems to have recieved. If you want to live somewhere where mob rule and summary justice is the order of the day, move to Somalia. This is the United States, and we have laws here.

Posted by: Burt Location: Texas on Sep 5, 2008 at 03:49 AM
Nothing wrong with showing someone some tough love!

Posted by: liz Location: ardmore on Sep 4, 2008 at 06:13 PM
Just what if...HE DIDNT DO IT??? WHAT IF, they actually did and wanted him to take the blame for it???? No one has thought of that.. Poor guy didnt deserve what he got... You people do not know what happened....JUST WHAT YOU THINK YOU KNOW!!! I hope I never get blamed for something that I didnt do... and YOU people are my jury... GEESH!!!

Posted by: midniteryder Location: Sherman on Sep 3, 2008 at 10:30 AM
Where do I sign up to help out the legal defense fund for those guys?

Posted by: The Constitution Location: Forgotten, apparently on Sep 3, 2008 at 10:03 AM
It amazes me how you people, the same ones who scream if any opposes the war or Bush or anything of that nature, completely overlook the Constitution. Was the person they savagely beat arrested for his crime, and brought to trial by a jury of his peers, and then found guilty? No. These vigilantes decided to play cop, judge and jury, and execute the sentence as well. They are the real criminals here, as they totally ignored the principles that make this a great country, and you people are cheering them on for it. What next? Hangin' ropes?

Posted by: Anonymous on Sep 3, 2008 at 08:30 AM
The question was never if he did it. They know he did it, so he got what he deserved!

Posted by: Boo Location: Sherman on Sep 3, 2008 at 08:26 AM
Mr BigFoot should get foot out of mouth.... the guy admitted he did it. In some places around the world they'd cut off your hands for less.

Posted by: Us Location: OK on Sep 2, 2008 at 11:20 PM
As former victims of identity theft this sounds like a good punishment if the guy did it. These people only took care of a problem that law enforcement refuses to. Our case was miss handled and the person got away scott free while we still deal with the aftermath.

Posted by: diana c Location: madill on Sep 2, 2008 at 07:27 PM
that spanking will probably do more than any court of law ever could...

Posted by: Mr. BigFoot Location: The Woods on Sep 2, 2008 at 05:22 PM
What if the guy didn't write the checks? Who makes them the judge and jury. What if it happened to you and you didn't do the crime? Think about that! I hope they get what they deserve. A long time in prison.

Posted by: Me Location: Here on Sep 2, 2008 at 04:58 PM
The worse the punishment the less the crime rate!!

Posted by: ... Location: Antlers. on Sep 2, 2008 at 03:02 PM
I agree with Chris. If more punishments were like the one described above, people would think twice before they broke the law.

Posted by: ITS BETTER IN CABO! on Sep 2, 2008 at 01:56 PM
O.k.if its 250 lashes for forging checks,whats the # for assault?

Posted by: Chris Location: Ok on Sep 2, 2008 at 01:08 PM
well dont write checks that arent yours. I think this form of punishment should be used more. Might make you think a little more before you decide to steal or break the law.

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