An accused homophobic Hasid charged with helping to beat a gay black man within an inch of his life is headed to trial.
Mayer Herskovic faces up to 25 years in prison on felony gang assault in the beating of Taj Patterson as he walked home from a party in Williamsburg in December 2013.
Herskovic arrived in Brooklyn Supreme Court on Tuesday accompanied by an entourage of fellow Hasids for jury selection in his case. The proceeding ended up being put off until Thursday.
Five men were originally fingered for the attack, but charges were dropped against Aharon Hollender and Joseph Fried in 2014 and 2015.
Two other suspects, Pinchas Braver and Abraham Winkler, copped to a plea deal and were sentenced to three years probation, $1,400 restitution and 150 hours community service in a “culturally diverse neighborhood” Aug. 16.
Herskovic refused a plea deal. None of the four are expected to testify for the prosecution in his case.
The attackers — linked to the Satmar watchdog group Shomrim approached Patterson around five a.m. and began to harass him, shouting anti-gay slurs, before jumping him.
Patterson was so badly beaten that he suffered a torn retina and broken orbital socket and remains permanently blind in his left eye.
Defense lawyer Israel Fried and ADA Tim Gough will begin picking a jury before Brooklyn Supreme Court Justice Danny Chun on Thursday.
Opening statements are slotted for Monday.
Patterson, who has a civil lawsuit pending against the city, was not present for Tuesday’s appearance.
