Lawyer: Uyesugi to plead not guilty
Attorney says his client plans to become doctor
BY MARCELA CREPS
mcreps@heraldt.com
August 4, 2007
BLOOMINGTON — The attorney representing a man accused of beating a Monroe County teenager during a religious ritual exorcism said Thursday his client expects to enter a not-guilty plea before Monroe County Circuit Court Judge Marc Kellams at an initial hearing set for Aug. 10.
Edward Uyesugi II, whose bond was set at $5,000 surety, $500 cash, paid his bond and was released about an hour after he turned himself in at the Monroe County Jail Wednesday, jail records show.
Uyesugi, of 208 W. Campbell St., Paoli, faces preliminary charges of confinement and battery after he was accused of beating a 14-year-old autistic boy in an attempt to cast out demons.
Uyesugi was booked into jail at 12:32 p.m. Wednesday. According to jail staff, he was released at 1:48 p.m.
Matt Blanton, Uyesugi’s attorney, said he has yet to talk to the Monroe County prosecutor about the case.
“What’s been relayed to me versus what I’ve read isn’t necessarily consistent,” Blanton said. “As with everything, there are varying recollections of what occurred on the day in question.”
Blanton said Uyesugi has never been in trouble with the law.
The 22-year-old is a student at Indiana University and has plans to become a doctor. He said Uyesugi is scheduled to graduate from IU in December.
Uyesugi graduated from Paoli High School in 2003 and was valedictorian of the class. He participated in many extracurricular activities there, including varsity basketball and tennis.
The pastors for Cherry Hill Ministries in Bloomington released a statement Wednesday denouncing Uyesugi’s behavior in his attempt to “cast demons” out of the boy during a ritual session conducted at the request of the boy’s mother.
In the press release, sent by the church’s attorney, the church states that the Uyesugi was immediately expelled from the Cherry Hill School of Theology and was asked to resign membership in the church.
http://www.tmnews.com/stories/2007/0....nw-285825.tms