I heard a radio news story about this today, so even though it was NPR I am still not an expert
I believe the one young man who was convicted may have been overcharged and under-represented by the public defender.
I also believe that people who break the law, particularly laws against violence to other people, should be held accountable for their behavior if convicted of the right charges in a fair trial with adequate legal representation.
That is all I have to say about the topic.