Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley today announced that a trial date has been set for two defendants who allegedly taunted a pair of men with homophobic slurs and then assaulted them.

The trial of DARREN MORGAN (D.O.B. 3/3/63) and HOWARD RICE (D.O.B. 1/9/59) has been scheduled for Dec. 10 in the Boston Municipal Court. Both men are charged with assault and battery, disorderly conduct, and civil rights violations for a June 15 incident on Washington Street.

Prosecutors expect to prove that the victims were walking along Washington Street that night when Morgan and Rice began to verbally abuse them from a nearby bus stop. The terms and phrases Morgan and Rice allegedly used suggested that they were targeting the men because they perceived the men to be gay.

Even as the men tried to avoid the defendants, Rice allegedly placed one victim in a headlock. When he broke free and the victims entered a nearby restaurant, both assailants followed them in and continued to assault them before Boston Police responded and took them into custody.

Suffolk prosecutors recommended that both men be held on $3000 cash bail at their June 16 arraignment in the Boston Municipal Court, when both were charged with disorderly conduct and Rice was additionally charged with assault and battery. Rice was held on $500 cash bail and Morgan was released on his own recognizance.

In the days and weeks that followed, Boston Police detectives assigned to the Community Disorders Unit undertook an investigation into the alleged violations of the victims’ civil rights, finding that probable cause existed to charge both defendants with that additional offense and to charge Morgan with assault and battery. Both men were subsequently re-arraigned on Aug. 19.

Assistant District Attorney Arianna Kelly is prosecuting the case. Amanda Byrne is the victim-witness advocate. Morgan is represented by attorney Krista Larsen and Rice by attorney Amy Jo Freedman.