Click the play button on the video window to the see the story
BARTOW, FL -- One of five teen suspects in the videotaped beating (see photos) of a Polk County classmate was sentenced Friday after pleading guilty to misdemeanor battery.
Mercades Nichols was sentenced to three years probation and 120 hours community service. She has to remain in school during that time or be employed full-time.
She cannot have a Facebook or other social networking Internet account and is required to take an anger management class.
In addition, Nichols must write a letter of apology that the judge will approve, have no contact with the victim or Brittiny Hardcastle, another defendant.
She must pay more than $1,700 in restitution and court costs.
In exchange for her guilty plea in January, prosecutors agreed to drop charges of felony kidnapping and witness tampering against Nichols. The felony charge carried a maximum sentence of life in prison. She faced up to five years on the witness tampering count. The misdemeanor battery count carried a maximum of one year in jail.
Four other teen girls were also arrested last April in connection with the March 2008 attack on classmate Victoria Lindsay. The incident was recorded on video and gained worldwide attention.
Brittany Mayes was sentenced Thursday as a juvenile to one year's probation and ordered to pay the victim's family $1,752 in restitution. The other teens will be sentenced later this month.
Two boys were initially accused in the case. But those charges were later dropped.
