Six teenagers who sought to withdraw their guilty pleas in a gang rape were rebuffed by a judge who sentenced them to prison terms and ordered thousands of dollars in fines.
The teenagers were among 13 men and boys arrested on suspicion of sexually assaulting three girls, aged 12, 13 and 14, last April.Authorities said the three girls had run away from home and were trying to return when they accepted a ride from an ex-boyfriend. They were taken to a motel party where as many as 16 men and boys repeatedly beat and raped them for 26 hours.
Ten defendants accepted plea bargains last month, leaving three to stand trial on 43 counts of rape, gang rape, kidnapping and assault.
On Wednesday, the 10 who pleaded guilty tried to file motions to withdraw their pleas, saying they were mistreated because they are Asian and that their lawyers were incompetent.
Fresno County Judge Lawrence J. O'Neill denied the motion, calling the defendants' claims "ludicrous and outrageous."