Photo: ABC News
MARTINEZ, Calif. (AP) — A judge in Northern California has dismissed a battery charge against a transgender teenager whose prosecution had been questioned by supporters from across the country.
The Contra Costa Times reports that a juvenile court judge dropped the misdemeanor charge earlier this month after 16-year-old Jewlyes Gutierrez completed a conflict resolution program.
The charge stemmed from a November fight at Hercules High School that was caught on video and went viral. Jewlyes’ case attracted the attention of LGBT advocacy groups, who questioned why she was the only student to face criminal penalties when the girls she fought with had been taunting her.
Jewlyes tells the Times the conflict resolution program helped her resolve her problems with classmates. She says she can relax now that the charge is behind her.
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