Three Iraq war veterans who allegedly beat up a Bellefonte man downtown are scheduled to appear in Centre County court today for a conference that will pave the way to their trials.

Jermaine Garrett, 25, of Walterboro, S.C., allegedly approached Michael Benjamin, 30, June 24 on the 200 block of E. College Ave., verbally assaulted and punched him to the ground.

A police report states Garrett, Christopher Holcomb, 22, of Kingston, Wis., and Brenton Scrudders, 22, of Milesburg, proceeded to punch and kick Benjamin on the ground.

The report also states that the three men told Benjamin to "say hello to the wizard," a term Benjamin has said makes him think the alleged crime was racially motivated.

Benjamin described himself as Filipino, with a dark complexion and brown hair and eyes.

In July, he said he researched the term on the Web, and said he found "the wizard" is a common name for Saddam Hussein.

The attorney for the accused men, Philip Masorti, said the term "wizard" has existed in army jargon long before Hussein became "notorious."

He said any statement using "the wizard" as a reference to Hussein is a "twist on the facts."

Centre County Assistant District Attorney Steve Sloane has also said he found several references to Hussein as "the wizard" online, but it was not part of the prosecution's case the last time he could be reached for comment in July.

He said he was walking side-by-side with a friend who he described as "very, very white," and the friend was untouched in the alleged incident.

Masorti said at a preliminary hearing June 28 that Benjamin provoked the fight by making racial statements toward Garrett, who is black.

Benjamin denies those claims.

"Even if I was mad at somebody, I would never say that to anybody," Benjamin said in July. He described himself as someone who is very sensitive about race.

Sloane said the alleged racial elements and accusations made by both sides should not play a part in the outcome of the trial.

"If everyone in this case was deaf, dumb and blind, we'd all be doing the same thing," Sloane said in July. "In the end, it is legally completely insignificant. It doesn't justify what they did. It wouldn't make anything more serious than it is."

State College Police Sgt. John Wilson said June 28 that police believe alcohol was a factor in the incident.