Mulberry Eight Update: Florida Teens Involved in Videotaped Beating Appear Before Judge at Bond Hearing

The case of the eight Florida teens accused of beating a friend and videotaping it so they could post it on MySpace appeared before a judge yesterday to have their bond set. And for all of them, the judge more than doubled the typical bond in these kinds of cases, keeping many of them behind bars. Of course, the hearing also brought the parents of these punks out, and in some cases you can see the darling little apples didn't fall far from the trees. According to WFTV, the father of Stephen Schumaker, 18 decided the whole thing was the fault of Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd, who decided to release the video adding, "Grady Judd, our great sheriff, he made a mountain out of a molehill with all these trumped up charges for these kids." Trumped up charges? Have you seen the video dad?
Not surprisingly, Angela Cowden, the judge in the case also set some strict rules for the Mulberry Eight teens if, and when, the get out on bond: they can't go back to Mulberry High School, use any Internet sites (like MySpace or YouTube) and there's a strict curfew that essentially keeps them under house arrest.
Sweet! Below, a compilation picture of all six girls as they stood before a judge for the first time. Click here to see a slide show of the whole circus.

Here's more from WFTV:

Six of the teens accused in the videotape beating in Polk County bonded out of Jail Friday night. Only Stephen Shumaker and Britney Mayes remained behind bars. On their own videotape, six Polk County girls laughed in another girl's face as they beat her so badly she was hospitalized. Friday in court, they hung their heads in shame.Not only will the girls be tried as adults for their videotaped attack, Judge Angela Cowden doubled the normal bond for all eight teens.
Each is now held on anywhere from $31,000 to $37,000 for kidnapping and battery and Friday many of their parents told Eyewitness News they can't afford to get their kids out. More than one parent came out of the Polk County courtroom sobbing. People like Mary Nichols learned getting her 17-year-old granddaughter Mercades out of jail would now take serious money. "I don't have the money to bond her out," Nichols said.