A man accused of a racially-motivated attack on a black college student was convicted today of assault, but acquitted of ethnic intimidation.
Phillip Martinez, 39, of Lafayette, was found guilty of second-degree assault for breaking Andrew Sterling’s jaw.
Martinez faces a mandatory minimum sentence of five years in prison.
The Boulder County jury deliberated for more than a day.
“I’m really happy with the way things turned out,” said Sterling, a University of Colorado student, after the verdict was announced.
Keith Pope, defense lawyer for Martinez, said he felt his client was vindicated on the racial charge, but was not happy with the assault conviction, saying his client had acted in self-defense.
The incident occurred on June 3, 2005, when Sterling encountered men in a van near 11th Street and Arapahoe Avenue in Boulder.
