MIAMI (WSVN) - A man who was caught on camera armed and yelling racial slurs on Martin Luther King Jr. Day in Brickell appeared in court Tuesday morning.
Mark Bartlett’s first court appearance comes after a judge on Wednesday said he wanted both Bartlett and his attorney present.
He had originally entered a written plea of not guilty for additional hate crime charges announced on Feb. 19.
The new charges include three counts of aggravated assault with prejudice. He was initially charged with carrying a concealed weapon without a permit.
The 51-year-old’s bond was increased to $32,000 as he pleaded not guilty for a second time.
“There’s no room at all for a hate crime,” said the President of Wilkie D. Ferguson Jr. Bar Association Monique D. Hayes. “It’s important that we show up and demand the justice that’s due in the case.”
The attorneys representing Bartlett insist that there is no justice for the charges he faces.
“You know, it’s a sad day that we have this. It’s a political prosecution; this was not a hate crime,” said attorney Jayne Weintraub. “We don’t have mob justice in America, and we hope that he will be vindicated in a court of law and not tried in a court of public opinion.”
Barlett’s attorney said he would not give a comment at this time.
If found guilty, Bartlett could face up to 55 years in prison.
The trial is set for June 24.
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