JUVENILES TRIED/SENTENCED as ADULTS RESOURCES
These are Juveniles Tried/Sentenced as Adults Resources.
Please also see:
Juvenile Justice (U.S.) || Juvenile Justice (International)
Juvenile Corrections || Youth Violence
ARTICLES/INFORMATION/RESEARCH
(click here for Organizations/Agencies)
A 14-year-old Fort Worth girl was sentenced to 25 years for killing her best friend
"A girl found guilty of murdering her best friend was sentenced to 25 years in prison Friday.
Her sentenced was imposed immediately and she will be held in a Texas Juvenile Justice Department facility, according to Judge Alex Kim, who presided over the case. On or before her 19th birthday, the court will make a determination whether to transfer her to an adult prison or grant her some leniency.
Nylah Lightfoot, 14, died early May 29 after being taken to John Peter Smith Hospital with stab wounds to her neck and chest after a fight at the Sycamore Center Villas apartment complex in south Fort Worth. The friend who killed her has been detained since the stabbing and will receive credit for time served, according to the court.
Read more here: https://www.star-telegram.com/news/local/community/fort-worth/article226322745.html#storylink=cpy"
Fort Worth Star-Telegram, February 15, 2019
Thurston shooter Kip Kinkel's 112-year prison term is constitutional, high court rules
"Kinkel was 15 when he killed his parents in their Springfield home on May 20, 1998, then showed up the next day at Thurston High with three guns hidden in his trench coat. He killed two classmates and wounded 24 others.
Kinkel, now 35, appealed his sentence, arguing that it amounts to a life sentence without parole and violates the Eighth Amendment because he committed his crimes when he was a juvenile.
Kinkel contends his long sentence falls under a 2012 U.S. Supreme Court decision, Miller v. Alabama. The ruling found that mandatory life sentences for two 14-year-old murder defendants were cruel and unusual punishment because of their age.
The 2012 decision has spurred a re-evaluation of juvenile murder sentences across the nation."
The Oregonian, May 18, 2018
12-year-old boy arrested on murder charge in connection with death of Creswell woman
"CRESWELL — A 12-year-old boy arrested in connection with the homicide of an elderly Creswell woman is set for arraignment Friday.
The boy, who has not been named, faces charges of first-degree murder and first-degree burglary in the death of Emma Burnell, 92, who was found Monday afternoon, said Lane County Public Health spokesman Jason Davis. He will not be charged as an adult, Davis said. "
Eugene Register-Guard (OR), January 10, 2019
Woman slain; daughters, 12 and 14, charged
"Two sisters accused of stabbing their mother to death Friday night are being held on murder charges, Pike County Sheriff Kenny Cotton said.
Ericka Hall, 32, died allegedly at the hands of her 12- and 14-year-old daughters of multiple stab wounds and a gunshot wound to the abdomen after the girls attacked her at their house, Cotton said.
The younger daughter is being held in the Adams County Juvenile Detention Center in Natchez, while the other, Amariyona Hall, is being charged as an adult and is in the Pike County jail on a $150,000 bond. She had a bond hearing Saturday and is expected to return to court for a preliminary hearing on Jan. 29."
Enterprise-Journal (MS), January 7, 2019
Lawyer for Wisconsin girl convicted in Slenderman stabbing files appeal, claims she should not have been tried as adult
"A lawyer for one of two girls convicted in the so-called Slenderman stabbing is appealing her conviction, claiming she should not have been tried as an adult.
Morgan Geyser pleaded guilty to attempted first-degree intentional homicide in connection with the 2014 attack on Payton Leutner at a Wisconsin park, and was ordered to spend 40 years in a mental health facility. However, lawyer Matthew Pinix argues in an appeal filed on Thursday that Geyser should have been charged with second-degree intentional homicide, which would have pushed the case into juvenile court.
"
NY Daily News, January 7, 2019
US state asks: should a 15-year-old murderer spend his life in jail?
"At sentencing, Judge Scott DeWitt had no choice but to hand down life imprisonment without parole, the mandatory punishment for first-degree murder in Michigan.
"It's obvious to me that we can't, as a society, say that 15-year-old children should be held to the same standards as adults," he said. "Our law provides this. I think the law is wrong."
Changing the law on juveniles
In a series of four comparatively recent cases, the United States Supreme Court has come around to DeWitt's point of view, ruling that because they are impulsive, poor at assessing consequences and susceptible to peer pressure, juveniles must not be subject to the law's harshest punishments."
The Age (Australia), April 8, 2018
Young people devoured by jail
"This will be the third year that Gov. Cuomo attempts to convince the legislature to raise the age of adult criminal responsibility to 18, a reform whose chances have improved with the support of the breakaway Independent Democratic Conference that plays an instrumental role in the state Senate."
NEW YORK DAILY NEWS, February 13, 2017.
Wisc. judge orders 'Slender Man' girls to stand trial as adults for attempted murder
"Two young Wisconsin girls accused of stabbing their classmate to please the horror character Slender Man must stand trial as adults for attempted homicide, a judge ruled Friday.
Both girls face a count of being a party to attempted first-degree intentional homicide, which automatically places them in adult court under Wisconsin law. They each could face up to 65 years in the state prison system if convicted. Both defendants and the victim, Payton Leutner, were 12 at the time of the stabbing."
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS, March 14, 2015.
Brothers charged in stabbing deaths of 5 Okla. family members
"TULSA, Okla. - First-degree murder charges were formally filed Friday against two Oklahoma brothers accused in the stabbing deaths of their parents and three siblings.
Robert Davis Bever, 18, and Michael John Bever, 16, were each charged with five counts of first-degree murder in the July 22 deaths of their parents, David Bever, 52, and April Bever, 44, and their siblings, Daniel Bever, 12; Christopher Bever, 7; and Victoria Bever, 5."
www.cbsnews.com, July 31, 2015.
California teen charged as an adult in murder of 8-year-old Madyson Middleton
"A 15-year-old boy has been charged as an adult in the murder of 8-year-old Madyson Middleton.
Adrian Jerry Gonzalez, who went by A.J., is accused of luring the child to his Santa Cruz, Calif. apartment Sunday evening where she was sexually assaulted and murdered."
NEW YORK DAILY NEWS, July 29, 2015.
Florida man, once nation's youngest convicted murderer, released from prison
" Curtis Jones was just 12 years old when he and his 13-year-old sister killed his father's girlfriend, and he's spent more than 15 years behind bars after pleading guilty to second-degree murder.
Now 29, the prison-raised killer left South Bay Correctional Facility without fanfare at 7 a.m., Florida Today reported."
NEW YORK DAILY NEWS, July 28, 2015.
Youngest convicted killer in U.S. to be released from prison
"Curtis Jones, once the youngest convicted murderer in the nation, is set to be released from a Florida prison more than 15 years after he gunned down his father's girlfriend."
NEW YORK DAILY NEWS, July 21, 2015.
'Because he was Chinese, he must have money': Teens accused in USC student's beating death admit to attack, cop says
"Four California teens told police they attacked Chinese graduate student Xinran Ji in July because 'he must have money,' a detective said in court Wednesday. The 24–year–old engineering student was bludgeoned with a bat as he walked home from a late-night study group. The suspects, between the ages of 16 and 19, are all charged as adults."
Daily News, January 15, 2015.
Florida sisters, 11 and 15, charged with killing their 16–year–old brother
"'This is the stuff nightmares are made of' said Columbia County Sheriff Mark Hunter at an afternoon press conference. 'This is really, really a sad case.'
Prosecutors have not yet decided whether to charge the eldest girl as an adult. According to Florida state law, prosecutors have the option of charging juveniles as adults if they are over the age of 14.
Ariel admitted to shooting her brother, authorities said. He had locked her into her bedroom after beating her on Monday, she said. Her younger sister later unlocked the door.
Hunter said officers had been to the Kornegay house three times in recent years, once for an abuse call involving the teenage girl. The matter was turned over to children's service workers. The outcome was not known Wednesday. The eldest girl had previously been locked in her room by her parents with only a bucket to use as a toilet, Hunter said. Her parents had also pulled her out of school, he said."
Daily News, January 07, 2015.
De Blasio announces end of teen solitary confinement after touring city's jail system
"The mayor's reforms will see young inmates who make trouble lose other privileges or be moved to specialized housing units with extra therapy services."
Daily News, December 18, 2014.
Seventy years later, South Carolina judge exonerates black teen who was executed
"George Stinney, 14, was electrocuted in 1944 after a 3–hour trial for the murders of two white girls. There was no physical evidence, no witnesses and no appeal."
Daily News, December 17, 2014.
Pennsylvania 10–year–old accused of killing 90–year–old misses his mom, finds adult jail scary: lawyer
"Tristen Kurilla, of Damascus Township, has been held in the adult facility ever since the October beating death of Helen Novak. He is one of the youngest ever to face an adult homicide charge in Pennsylvania."
Daily News, December 11, 2014.
SC kid never got a fair trial in slayings
" Stinney's trial began and ended on April 24, a month after the murders. No physical evidence linked him to the crime, so his prosecution hinged on the confession.
The defense attorney, Charles Plowden, 33, did not challenge the confession. Instead, he claimed Stinney was too young for a murder conviction. It was a wasted argument since state law said 14–year–olds could be charged as adults.
The jury, 12 white men, convicted Stinney in 10 minutes. They recommend no mercy, and the boy was sentenced to die."
Daily News, December 06, 2014.
Is adult court right place for 12–year–old suspects in 'Slender Man' stabbing? (+ video)
"A Wisconsin prosecutor says evidence of premeditation warrants charging two girls, 12, as adults in a horrific stabbing case. Others say the girls' fantastical motive, involving a fictional Slender Man, indicates otherwise. Here's the trend in prosecuting juveniles as adults."
Christian Science Monitor, June 04, 2014.
- Pre–teen defendant incompetent to proceed in "Slenderman" case
"Two doctors have concluded that Morgan Geyser was incompetent, according to the results of mental evaluations disclosed in court on Wednesday. Geyser and Anissa Weier, both 12, have been charged as adults in the stabbing of their friend in a park in late May."
Reuters Press, July 02, 2014. - Doctor: Girl, 12, competent in Slenderman case
"WAUKESHA, Wis. (AP)—A state doctor believes the mental condition of one of two girls accused of repeatedly stabbing a classmate to please the fictional horror character Slender Man has improved, and the 12–year–old is fit to stand trial, a Wisconsin judge said Wednesday."
Associated Press, November 13, 2014.
La. Supreme Court: Juvenile killers not eligible for new sentences
The Advocate, November 06, 2013
Paul Henry Gingerich, Convicted Of Murder As Adult At Age 12, Could Be Retried As Juvenile
Huffington Post, March 08, 2013
Judge: California boy murdered neo–Nazi dad, knew it was wrong
This is California, where race–war is the standard in all penal institutions. Which car is this kid going to be able to get into?"
CNN, January 14, 2013
- Sentencing for California boy who killed neo-Nazi dad at age 10 postponed
Daily News, March 01, 2013 -
10–Year–Old Arizona Boy Sentenced in Fatal Shooting
"A motive never has been made clear, although the boy told investigators he kept a tally of spankings. ... The boy's attorney, Ron Wood, said [the boy] made a choice that day between killing himself or killing the two men."
Associated Press, January 14, 2010
High Court Rejects Mandatory Life Sentences for Juveniles
Wall Street Journal, June 25, 2012
Defense: 12-year-old charged in toddler's death was abused, neglected as child
Florida Times-Union, June 03, 2011
- No plea deal for Cristian Fernandez; trial set for February
Florida Times-Union, December 06, 2011 - Christian Fernandez led life 'punctuated by violence'
Huffington Post, May 23, 2014. - Christian Fernandez, 13, Pleads Guilty, will serve sentence in juvenile facility.
America Blog, February 08, 2013.
Juvenile Life Without Parole: Review of Sentences
Policy statement from the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, April 2011
Boy, 12, faces grown-up murder charges
CNN, February 10, 2010
Sniper Malvo Sentenced to Life Without Parole
CNN, May 5, 2004
Panhandle Boys Indicted For Murdering Father
Associated Press, December 12, 2001
- Deputy Fired Over Friendship in Boys' Murder Case
Associated Press, March 24, 2002 - Love Letter Found on Wall of Chavis' Cell
Pensacola News Journal, April 03, 2002 - Chavis Charged in King Murder
Gulf Herald, April 10, 2002 - Chavis Indicted for King Murder
Pensacola News Journal, April 12, 2002 - Florida Boys Convicted in Father's Death
New York Times, September 07, 2002 - Boys' Convictions in Dad's Killing Thrown Out
CNN, October 18, 2002 - 2 FL Boys Get Reduced Jail Sentences
Los Angeles Times, November 14, 2002
Death Penalty For Juveniles Under Scrutiny
Christian Science Monitor, August 27, 2002
Ruling Opens Way For Young Convicts
Palm Beach Post, July 25, 2002
Age For Executions Raised to 18
Indianapolis Star, March 27, 2002
Court Upholds Life in Prison For Teenager
Florida Times–Union, February 07, 2002
Revised Young Offenders Act Soon to Be Law
Toronto Star, February 04, 2002
Young Inmates Found to Keep Life of Crime
Miami Herald, July 31, 2001
Group Decries Pending Texas Execution
Associated Press, July 31, 2001
Boy Who Shot Teacher Convicted of Murder
Associated Press, May 16, 2001
- Teen Who Killed Teacher Sentenced To 28 Years In Prison
Lubbock Online, July 28, 2001
States Adjust Adult Prisons to Needs of Youth Inmates
New York Times, July 25, 2001
"He Was Protecting Me"
Hartford Courant, July 10, 2001
- Teen's Case To Stay In Adult Court
Hartford Courant, July 21, 2001
NJ Supreme Court Affirms Lower Court in Advancing Killer's Parole Eligibility
The Associated Press, June 14, 2001
New Bill Protects Kids In Prison
Miami Herald, May 04, 2001
- Fla. Gov. Bush Signs Prison Bill
Associated Press, June 13, 2001
Tough Juvenile Sentencing Getting Second Look
Reuters, May 18, 2001
Americans Want Child Criminals Sentenced As Kids
Reuters, March 28, 2001
Kids in Prison, Part 1
The Miami Herald, March 18, 2001
- Kids in Prison, Part 2
The Miami Herald, March 19, 2001
The Latest Trend in Child Sexual Exploitation: Rape in Adult Prisons
A report from Joanne Mariner, FindLaw columnist, attorney, and deputy director of the Americas division of Human Rights Watch, regarding juveniles sentenced to adult penal institutions, and their increased vulnerability to sexual assault and exploitation as a result (January 25, 2001).
17 Executed for Crimes as Juveniles
Associated Press, December 03, 2000
Age Raising Ethical Questions
Associated Press, December 03, 2000
Youth Among Us: Addressing Youthful Offenders
Article from National Institute of Corrections regarding youthful offenders in adult prisons, February 22, 1999
Trying Juveniles as Adults in Criminal Court: An Analysis of State Transfer Provisions
Report by the Office for Juvenile Justice & Delinquency Prevention, December 1998
Juvenile Felony Defendants in Criminal Courts. State Court Processing Statistics, 1990-94
Special report regarding juveniles transferred to adult criminal courts from the Office of Juvenile Justice at the U.S. DOJ (September 1998)
Juvenile Competency To Stand Trial: Questions in an Era of Punitive Reform
Report regarding juveniles tried and sentenced as adults, from the A.B.A.'s Juvenile Justice Center, Fall 1997
Paying For Our Inaction
by Andrew Vachss, New York Newsday, April 28, 1989
Serious, Violent, and Habitual Juvenile Offenders
Text of a speech given by Andrew Vachss at an Office of Juvenile Justice & Delinquency Prevention workshop (January-February 1983)
Child Abuse: A Ticking Bomb
by Andrew Vachss, Change: A Juvenile
Justice Quarterly, Vol. V, No. 3, 1982
The Life-Style Violent Juvenile
by Andrew Vachss, 5/1 Change 10, 1981
COMMENTARY and OPINION
Little Adult Criminals
New York Times, May 23, 2001
Society Abandons Nathaniel Brazill
The Miami Herald, May 09, 2001
ORGANIZATIONS/AGENCIES
(click here for Articles/Information/Research)
ABA Juvenile Justice Center
American Bar Association
740 15th Street, NW, 7th Floor
Washington, DC 20005
Phone: (202) 662.1506
www.americanbar.org/groups/criminal_justice.html
Justice for Children
2600 Southwest Freeway, Suite 806
Houston, TX 77098
Phone: (713) 225-4357
www.justiceforchildren.org
Justice for Children is a national non-profit organization which advocates for childrens' rights and protection from abuse through public education, development of effective intervention and prevention strategies, and legal advocacy.
Juvenile Info Network
www.juvenilenet.org
JIN is intended to encourage communications among juvenile justice professionals and to foster the development of new reform programs in systems at the state and local levels.
National Center for Juvenile Justice
710 Fifth Avenue
Pittsburgh, PA 15219
Phone: (412) 227-6955
http://www.ncjj.org/
National Criminal Justice Reference Service (NCJRS)
P.O. Box 6000
Rockville, MD 20849-6000
Phone: (301) 519-5500
TTY local: (301) 947-8374
Toll-free: 1-800-851-3420
TTY Toll-free: (877) 712-9279
https://www.ncjrs.gov/
The NCJRS is an extensive source of information on criminal and juvenile justice, providing services to an international community of policymakers and professionals.
Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP)
810 Seventh Street, NW
Washington, DC 20531
Phone: (202) 307-5911
http://www.ojjdp.gov/
The OJJDP is the office of the U.S. Department of Justice responsible for working with states and communities to develop programs to prevent and control juvenile delinquency.
The Sentencing Project
Juveniles in Adult Criminal Courts
Suite 1000
Washington, D.C. 20004
Phone: (202) 628-0871
www.sentencingproject.org/template/page.cfm?id=184
