Comments on: Prosecutors argue teen deserves adult trial for murder of gay classmate

By: Richy_L

Richy_L — Sat, 21 Mar 2009 03:39:00 +0000

It is high time America made up its mind regarding the age at which a juvenile becomes an adult. It has to be entirely wrong to treat one individual as a juvenile for some things, but as an adult when it suits the relevant authority to do so, for other things. If this person is regarded as a juvenile when it comes to things like school, sex, alcohol, and so many other things, then he should be treated as a juvenile when it comes to crime, even when that crime is so clearly murder. The penalty should reflect the severity of the crime, but having due regard to the age of the perpetrator, as well as his/her ability to distinguish right from wrong. This would mean changing the law to include very lengthy sentences for juveniles who knowingly commit crimes, and who can be shown to have fully understood the consequences of their actions, but also leave the door open for parole, if it can be shown that the convicted has been truly rehabilitated and is truly remorseful.
At the moment, it seems that the judicial system has not so much to do with justice, as to do with being a scoreboard for lawyers and prosecutors, aimed at allowing them to claim greater financial reward in the future, in direct relation to their success or failure in the past.
And for those who seem to be worried about the safety of gays if he ever gets out, bear in mind that after 20 yrs or so in an american jail, he would probably be as gay as the rest of us.

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By: henry collier

henry collier — Tue, 17 Mar 2009 13:23:25 +0000

The revolving door of juvenile justice accomplishes little in this case except to endanger other gay people. The kid who committed the murder is a sociopath with no hope of redemption. If you believe in retribution, confinement for life with no possibility of parole will do the job. If you believe in revenge, then execute the murderer.

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By: Galeex

Galeex — Thu, 12 Feb 2009 18:53:21 +0000

Jen, igree with you there society for the past 1500 years has been extremley oppresive and vile. But the fact he wiated 20 minutes then killed him indicates that he was planning it such a vile creature does not deserve any compassion, also he shot him twice. Do you really think such a person could ever be rehabilitated? He may be just a innocent tool of this society's evil but i don't think so, it was his decision to kill nobody elses. We can not allow hetroes to go around killing us without just punishment.

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By: Jen Marcus

Jen Marcus — Thu, 12 Feb 2009 17:50:34 +0000

Here is a case of a 14 year old boy with no previous criminal record, from a broken and abusive home environment who allegedly murdered a 15 year old schoolmate simply because of that student's feminine mannerisms and sexual orientation. Both perpetrator and victim were "Children" and in my opinion should be subject to the jurisdiction of the Juvenile Justice System NOT the Adult Criminal Justice system. I also believe both of these young people are actually victims because of the homophobic and transphobic society and institutions we are all a part of and tolerate. As a point a fact, this murder, crime and indictment should be leveled and charged against society and its institutions especially those of a religious, educational, legal and governmental nature and origin. Therefore, this "child" should be remanded to the jurisdiction of the Juvenile Court System for trial and if found guilty subject to its laws with the opportunity for medical and psychiatric rehabilitation during incarceration to undo the damage society has done to him. Should Brandon be rehabilitated, he should be given the opportunity to live his life in free society hopefully spreading the messages of compassion and tolerance to all others and not hate, bigotry and violence!

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By: Galeex

Galeex — Thu, 12 Feb 2009 17:28:28 +0000

50 years! wtf life imprisonment at the very least. Why should such an evil twisted psycho like that be allowed into soceity ever again. He senselessly murdered someone it was driven by hate. He can never be rehabilatated the evil is too rooted in his brain and soul.

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By: Shay

Shay — Thu, 12 Feb 2009 08:59:39 +0000

Did you face death threats daily JPOS? I agree he should be sentenced to life because I got death threats daily in school for being gay. I'm lucky to even be alive with kids like THAT around.

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By: JPOSBORN

JPOSBORN — Thu, 12 Feb 2009 04:41:05 +0000

Prosecuting children as adults and saddling them with minimum mandatory sentences like life in prison without parole is tantamount to state sanctioned child abuse. The prosecutor in this case is pandering to a public bloodlust, not justice. Brandon, if found guilty of the crime, should certainly be taken from society for a time. However that time should be spent rehabilitating this child, NOT waiting for him to be carried from prison in a coffin. Lawrence King's memory should not be stained with yet another child suffering in prison. Rather, his memory will be uplifted if Brandon is first HELPED and then turns to the public to decry this horrible crime and influence others to dispense with bigotry and bias. The DA in this case is nothing more than a child abuser in a suit and is simply compounding a tragedy to further his own rather lackluster career. Certainly, he is not a man of justice.

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By: JPOSBORN

JPOSBORN — Thu, 12 Feb 2009 04:37:43 +0000

Trying children as adults and saddling them with minimum mandatory sentences like life in prison without parole is tantamount to state sanctioned child abuse. The prosecutor in this case is pandering to a public bloodlust, not justice. Brandon, if found guilty of the crime, should certainly be taken from society for a time. However that time should be spent rehabilitating this child, NOT waiting for him to be carried from prison in a coffin. Lawrence King's memory should not be stained with yet another child suffering in prison. Rather, his memory will be uplifted if Brandon is first HELPED and then turns to the public to decry this horrible crime and influence others to dispense with bigotry and bias. The DA in this case is nothing more than a child abuser in a suit and is simply compounding a tragedy to further his own rather lackluster career. Certainly, he is not a man of justice.

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By: Shay

Shay — Wed, 11 Feb 2009 19:47:22 +0000

I still say just lock him up and leave him to suffer in a prison for the rest of his life.

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By: John

John — Wed, 11 Feb 2009 19:03:26 +0000

Shay: I don't think anyone's sugesing he's just let off (anyone sane, that is); he's commited a crime and an attrocaty and justice (not revenge) must be served. Tried and found guilty for murder *as a child* he would still get a custodial sentance, no doubt about it, but probably with a far more rehabilitation support.

I'm sorry you suffered harrasment at your school, I realy am, but it's not a valid reason to support the perversion of justice.

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By: Shay

Shay — Wed, 11 Feb 2009 18:44:26 +0000

I think he should be tried as an adult and sentenced to life in prison without any chance of parole. This story makes me wonder why I wasn't shot in the head when I was hated for being gay in my California catholic school. They all threatened to kill my daily. I'm surprised none of them had done it. Show no mercy to this gay hating child. If he's that hateful towards gay people now if he was allowed free he could harm even more gay and lesbian citizens.

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By: johnny

johnny — Wed, 11 Feb 2009 18:39:15 +0000

The prosecutorial teams refusal to give the reasons why they have made such a determination and the Courts refusal to rule in favour of disclosure to the Defence does not serve Justice in this case. To prosecute a crime committed by a person aged 14 years old at the time of the offence under the provisions of law applicable to an adult demands an explanation in an open Court in the service of Justice for all.

Children are capable of committing murder of that there is no doubt, but to prosecute a child as an adult is to my mind a deeply troubling thing to do and leads to endless possibilities for injustice to be done. I strongly suspect the main motivation on the part of the prosecutorial authority for so doing is political and self serving, if they want to remove that doubt let them expose their reasons to judical scrutiny.

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By: John

John — Wed, 11 Feb 2009 17:18:57 +0000

Regardless of the availiabliltiy of the death penalty, 15 is not adulthood. A 15 year old boy should not be tried as an adult.

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By: Simon Murphy

Simon Murphy — Wed, 11 Feb 2009 16:34:16 +0000

If California does not have the death penalty then the accused absolutely should be tried as an adult. If California DOES have the death penalty then he should not be tried as an adult as if he is sentenced to death that would make the State of California guilty of the same crimes as he committed.

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