Trial Begins in Md. Neighborhood Watch Beating

An attorney for one of two brothers charged in a neighborhood watch beating case in Baltimore that drew comparisons with the Trayvon Martin shooting told a judge Wednesday he'll show the Maryland case is about self-defense, not vigilantism.

Brothers Eliyahu and Avi Werdesheim, who are Jewish and white, are accused in the beating of a black teen while patrolling for an Orthodox Jewish neighborhood watch group on Nov. 19, 2010. Their bench trial opened Wednesday on charges of second-degree assault, false imprisonment and carrying a deadly weapon.

The Werdesheim brothers opted Tuesday for a bench trial after their lawyer said publicity surrounding the Martin case would have made it impossible to find an impartial jury. Their attorney said he believed a judge could conduct a fair trial.
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