Teens out of jail, but not out of trouble

Polk County, Florida – Some shielded their faces.

Others winced as the glare of the cameras and rush of reporters closed in on the long walk to the car.

One actually laughed.

Mulberry High School teenagers accused of an unthinkable, barbaric, almost animalistic crime. The beating of another student on videotape. The video was then posted to YouTube.

A shocking video seen as a sadistic attack by a group of young girls, with two boys allegedly acting as look-outs just outside the house.

One by one, the teenagers bonded out of the Polk County jail Friday night, their anxious parents waiting nearby. One young man is reportedly still behind bars because his father did not have the money for bail.

The mother of one girl quickly wrapped an arm around her daughter, as she hustled her out of the jail parking lot and into a waiting SUV.

We asked repeatedly, “Why would your daughter do this? Why would she hurt her own friend? Why did this happen?”

The mother's answer, a curt, “None of your business!”

We then asked, “What happens now?” She replied, as she shoved her daughter inside the vehicle, “Her momma will take care of her, me!”

The teenagers, six girls and two boys, are accused of vicious crimes. Kidnapping, felony battery and false imprisonment. The kidnapping charge carries with it the possibility of life in prison.

And, these kids aren't going anywhere. They are under house arrest with strict rules. No contact with each other. No contact with the victim. No access to the internet or MySpace. If they want to leave the house, they can go only to court appearances. Any other reason must be cleared by a judge.

To view the video, please see the following link.

Earlier Story

Bartow, Florida - The video seen 'round the world has the potential to put eight teenagers behind bars for the rest of their lives.

Their bond was set between $30 and $37 thousand dollars. There are also several conditions, including having no contact with each other or the victim, a curfew from 7 p.m. to 6 a.m., they cannot go back to Mulberry High School or any school events and they cannot go to any Internet chat rooms or MySpace and YouTube.

The eight teens, whose ages range from 14 to 18, were all charged as adults on Thursday.

Authorities say the videotaped beating was just one of five fights filmed over a period of 30 minutes. Authorities say at one point the victim's head is slammed into a bedroom wall and she's knocked unconscious.

Investigators say the beating happened on March 30^th in Lakeland, while the victim was spending time at a friend's house during spring break.

Brittany Hardcastle's mother is shaken by the incident and says it is having a lasting impact on her family. She says they have had death threats because of the incident. Hardcastle adds her daughter is, "a very good person and is my baby girl."

But the fact that her baby girl faces life in prison is hitting home.

Tears were flowing today for family members. Mercades Nichols' grandmother says the teens should not face jail time.

"I really believe all of them need help, instead of throwing them in jail," says Mary Nichols. "Sit down and talk to them, and find out what they were thinking."

Although the beating took place at Nichols' home, she didn't know about it until police notified her, because she was at work at the time. Nichols says when she first saw the tape she was overwhelmed. "Kids fight, but not like that."

But it was Robert Schumaker who had the most animosity, especially for Sheriff Grady Judd. Schumaker says his son Stephen should not be charged.

"He wasn't even there. Grady Judd, our great sheriff, made a mountain out a mole hill."

Schumaker says they are trumped up charges for these kids. According to Schumaker, "It was a one-on-one fight. It wasn't a gang beating, it was our sheriff trying to showboat."

Although the bond is relatively low, some families say they don't have the money to get their kids out of jail.

Being charged as an adult carries with it much stiffer penalties, possibly up to life in prison on the kidnapping charges.

Conditions for their release include the following:

· No contact with the victim or the victim's family

· Stay away from the victim's residence

· No Internet chat. No MySpace or You Tube

· No contact with the co-defendants or their families

· No statements about the case

· Curfew

· House Arrest

· No contact with Mary Nichols

· Daily call inMay not leave home unless they're coming to court

To see past stories on this case, click below:

· 04/07/08 - Teens arrested for video attack04/08/08 - Classmates react: The are not bullies!04/09/08 - Gag order issued in teen beating case04/10/08 - Callers harass wrong family in videotaped beating case04/10/08 - Teen beating suspects charged as adults