Justice For Timmy!

     You old timers will remember this story. It’s about my son, Timmy.

It happened in 2003. It was scary, ugly, unfair, but after 9 nine years, justice may be coming for Timmy after all!

I was a City Commissioner serving my last year of a second term, focusing in on the local alcohol drug rehabs. I was known as a neighborhood crime fighter, having always lived off Dixie Hwy in an area that was crime ridden, and under attack by the crack cocaine drug trade.

I had become known as the point person in the fight to clean the area up.

Little did I imagine that the criminals would target my family, but I was wrong, and they did.

One day in 2003, my 13 yr. old son Timmy was walking home from his friends house, when he felt someone grab him around the throat, and drag him off the road and down the RR tracks.

Before he knew what was happening, another thug appeared in front and began pounding his fists into my son’s face. As Timmy was blacking out he remembered his attackers say, “this was for your father, tell him we’re going to kill him next”.

Timmy regained consciousness and found his way back to the street, dripping blood. A motorist stopped and brought him home. We called 911. Timmy spent the night in the hospital.

The fortunate thing was that Timmy was OK, other than the golf-ball size lumps on his head, and, he knew who one of the attackers was – in our neighborhood anti-crime walks, we would see this thug dealing drugs and call the Police, and Timmy had remembered him!

We knew him as Peter Lewis, but his real name is Hudson Joseph. His rap sheet is long – includes armed robbery with a weapon, multiple assaults, loads of drug charges etc.


Timmy and Dad in 2003, just before the attack

Well they got Lewis/Hudson in 2003, and sentenced him to ….  time served

–  15 days, for two adults lying in wait and beating an innocent 13 yr. old bloody and unconscious –

– miscarriage of justice at best ! They had reduced the charge from Felony Assault to Simple Battery, because Timmy had ” no permanent disfigurement!

We were flabbergasted, and mad. But we put it behind us and moved on.

Until yesterday!

I get a call from a fabulous new State Attorney – Whitney Mackay. She said that Hudson Joseph was going to trial today for the vicious beating of Timmy in 2003!

I was confused. Hudson had gotten the ridiculous sentence of 15 days back in 2003. But it turns out Joseph wasn’t happy with that! His attorney filed a motion to have the conviction overturned!

Then, Joseph didn’t show up for that hearing. A warrant was filed, and he’s be on the run ever since.

The new State Attorney is going to fight for some real justice in the case this time around. She’s pushing for the maximum sentence – 364 days in jail.

Timmy is in college and doing great. He got real tough after that. Here he is as the Captain of his wrestling team at Fort Lauderdale High a few years back, a few years after the assault.

That’s Timmy pinning another opponent. Timmy is looking at the ref, that’s his opponent’s legs up in the air! I often wondered if the many opponents Timmy pinned were paying the price for Hudson!

We’re due back in court in July. I’ll keep you abreast.

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