The original content of Democracy Now! Headlines appears under the Creative
Commons BY-NC-ND 3.0 License (United States). For more, including their other
shows and media, visit www.democracynow.org.
January 10, 2014

Transgender Woman Jailed in Controversial Case to See Early Release 
--------------------------------------------------------------------


 
A transgender African-American woman imprisoned for the fatal stabbing
of a man who had reportedly harassed her is set for early release next
week. Chrishaun "Ce Ce" Mc Donald of Minneapolis was sentenced to 41
months in prison after pleading guilty to second-degree manslaughter to
avoid a murder trial. Supporters say Mc Donald was the victim when she
was confronted with racial and homophobic slurs. While the events of
that night remain unclear, the ensuing fight left 47-year-old Dean
Schmitz dead from an apparent stabbing with a pair of fabric scissors in
Mc Donald’s purse. Mc Donald’s case has emerged as a rallying point
over bias against transgender people and African Americans in the
criminal justice system. Mc Donald has been held in a prison for men
despite her transgender identity. She will be released nearly a year
ahead of schedule.

 

.