MINNEAPOLIS — A young Minneapolis man was sentenced to the workhouse and chemical dependency treatment for his role in a violent attack on a transgender woman at a Metro Transit light rail station last spring.
Keaten Morris, age 19, struck a deal to plead guilty to third-degree assault in exchange for dropping a more serious charge of first-degree aggravated robbery. Hennepin County Judge Peter Cahill noted that Morris has already violated conditions of the plea deal by not contacting his parole agent, before levying a sentence of 365 days in the workhouse.
However, both Judge Cahill and Morris' attorney noted results of a pre-sentence investigation that indicate the defendant may suffer from chemical dependency and mental health issues. The judge ordered that as soon as a chemical treatment bed opens up Morris will be transferred from the workhouse to a treatment facility.
"That seems to be the biggest problem here, making you a danger not only to public safety but yourself. A lot of people died from fentanyl overdoses, so your use of fentanyl is of great danger to yourself," Cahill told Morris as he stood in the courtroom.
If he violates conditions of the sentence - which include staying in contact with his probation agent, having no contact with the victim or his co-defendant, and staying at least three blocks away from Metro Transit Stations - Morris will be sent back to the workhouse to serve his entire 365-day term.
Investigators say Morris and co-defendant Kevin York of St. Paul attacked and injured the transgender woman as she stood on a light rail platform at the Metro Transit Lake Street Station. The victim suffered a serious head injury with cranial bleeding, fractured ribs and a collapsed lung.
The woman was not in court Monday to make a victim impact statement, and there was no mention of her transgender status or the attack being gender-related during the sentencing hearing.
Following his arrest, court documents noted that Morris was on a Metro Transit trespass list at the time of the attack related to a previous offense.
Members of the Minnesota House and Senate Queer Caucus, which formed ahead of the 2023 legislative session, issued a statement following the attack.
"We are devastated by the recent attack on one of our community members. We stand in solidarity with her, and our thoughts are with her as she heals from this atrocious experience. We cannot tolerate this or any other act of violence against transgender women, who disproportionately experience violence and discrimination from individuals and on a structural level. We take this incident seriously and are working to implement laws that will protect, affirm, and uplift our queer and trans communities."
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