The Virginian-Pilot
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VIRGINIA BEACH
Hanna Whipple and Jassmine Pruitt had danced at many bachelor parties before they arrived at The Cosmopolitan Apartments at Town Center the night of Aug. 23.
They'd never had any serious problems with rowdy men, said Pruitt, 23.
But the party that night spun out of control, with one of the guests assaulting both women before they fled to a parking garage. There, Whipple drove her SUV into two men from the party, seriously injuring one, as she tried to leave.
Whipple, now 30, was charged with aggravated malicious wounding and malicious wounding.
Judge William O'Brien convicted the dancer Wednesday on lesser charges of unlawful wounding and assault and battery.
He said the prosecution had failed to prove that Whipple was malicious in her actions.
Whipple was trying to escape a terrifying situation and did not mean to hurt anyone, said her attorney, Larry B. Slipow, during the trial.
Prosecutor Eleanor J. Gaines disagreed, arguing that Whipple hit the men as vengeance for the assault.
That night, Whipple and Pruitt began performing at 10 p.m. but stopped because they believed some of the men were disobeying their instructions not to take photos.
As Whipple tried to leave, one of the men choked her and punched her in the face and head, Slipow said. Pruitt tried to help her and was also injured, she testified.
Several men blocked their efforts to drive away, Pruitt said. So Whipple drove into the groom and one of his friends, 33-year-old Andrew King of Richmond. She struck King twice, and he suffered broken bones and other injuries.
During the trial, three of the men - including the two who were struck - said the attack was unprovoked. The man who had assaulted the dancers was not present.
But Pruitt said they were banging on the windows of the SUV and that one man tried to pull her out of the vehicle.
During the trial, Slipow also discussed Whipple's history of mental problems.
O'Brien revoked her bond, saying she was a flight risk and potential danger to herself and the community.
Her sentencing is scheduled for Oct. 5.
The women did not press charges against the man who assaulted them, Gaines said.
On June 11, King's lawyer also filed a wrongful-injury suit against Whipple, seeking more than $5 million.
Kathy Adams, (757) 222-5155, kathy.adams@pilotonline.com
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Sounds one sided to me
Why no charges against the ones who started everything spiraling downhill, the men. Especially the one who choked and struck the women. You would think that atleast one of the 20 or so guys watching the beat down of a woman might have been brought up in the right way by loving parents and did something to stop it. Silly me, I guess not. How can so much of what occurred be overlooked or not even taken into consideration by the Police? Events don't start at step 3 or 4, do they?
Would you have stayed around for more abuse?
Sounds to me like the two women had a difficult enough time getting out of the party (with 20 or so guys), let alone out of the parking garage. Am I the only person who has heard that "fight or flight" is instinctive in everyone's brains...from birth. The numbers weren't in the women's favor. I tell you, I would have done what it took to save MY life from a large umber of men, who had to have been (atleast) drinking. What bachelor party plays games and reads the bible outload for fun?..right, NONE. The soon to be bride sure will have a rude awakening, when she meets the "real" man she married. Ya, i'd be proud to marry a guy who the night before you are to spend forever together...is having exotic dancers, lap dances and a "battle royal" between two small women and 20 or more men. I'm betting the man or men that hit the dancers could punch alot harder than the dancers could.
Protect and serve? who? It took the first beating in the party to lead up to what happened in the parking garage I bet.
It's the pimp's fault.
Where was her pimp? It's clearly the pimp's fault for letting things get out of hand in the first place.
Why were the men in the
Why were the men in the parking garage? If the women wanted to leave and the guys had let them, the guys would have been back in the apartment, not in front of the car when she drove off.
Where is Judge Judy when you need her...
HUH?
So this was a bachelor party? Boy, just think how proud the bride must have been to know her husband-to-be was getting lap dances from nearly(possibly completely) naked women? Girl, that is a fine man you married there. Did you get a pre-nup? No? Oh, goodness. Well, be sure to tell your parents often that you love them. It is extremely likely that in just a few short years you will be moving back home until you get back on your feet after divorce.
It was reported that one of the strippers has a mental problem? Strippers and mental problems? Wow! How unlikely is that possibility? I simply can't ponder that one. I mean, I always imagined that strippers were exactly the type of woman that we men aspire to take home to meet our family. If that is the case, well, maybe there is something called a god that the equally weird church-goers claim is returning to destroy all the remaining men, women, and children in his final act of revenge.
Where are the video cameras when you need them
Probably the guys will all testify that they never touched the girls and the police, courts and jury will never believe the dancers anyways. Sounds like the usual dumb guys wanting a show that is more than they paid for and getting mad when the girls want to leave. There are better ways to celebrate a wedding and the bride should really think about what kind of guy she is marrying.
Exotic Dancer Assaulted
I also agree with the previous posts. Hiring a dancer for parties does not give anyone the right to touch them or take pictures. Certainly no right to chioke them or follow them to the parking lot while they try to get away! Their lives were threatened...cut and dry. The cowardly "party boys" need to be investigated and charged.
exotic dancer convicted
Not knowing both sides of the story it's hard to draw a conclusion. But based on what has been written throw the case out. Waste of everyones time. Men were probabily drunk or well on their way and things got out of hand. Why wasn't the person who supposedly was choking one of the dancers not in court? Seems he would be a major witness. If this case goes on seems like the dancers should aslo press charges and sue the men at the party who assulted them.
I agree with Don.
Don't know if we're getting the whole story, but from what is printed here the guys that we're assalting the dancers were the one's responsible and should be charged as such. Are the guys connected to someone either in the PD or city hall? Just a question and maybe worth looking into for a good story. Think about it, a woman (dancer or not) was grabbed by the neck by some big tough guy. What would YOU advise her to do? Get out at all cost? The prosecutors need to find out WHO big tough guy is and charge him. Probably the type that beats up on kids and women consistantly but too scared to enter an equal fight.