bella
09-27-2002, 05:21 PM
LET'S HOPE THIS HELPS TO CHANGE SOME LAWS!!!!
Boys' Trial Sparks Group To Action
By BILL KACZOR The Associated Press
Published: Sep 26, 2002
PENSACOLA - Opponents of prosecuting children as adults have formed a national advocacy group in response to the trial of two Florida Panhandle boys convicted of killing their father.
Under Our Wings was formed during a conference call Tuesday among 19 people from California to New York.
``When we start prosecuting our children as adults, people know that something is wrong with that,'' said the Rev. Thomas Masters, the group president. ``Now the problem is, how do you fix it?''
Masters, pastor of the New Macedonia Baptist Church in Rivera Beach, became an advocate on the issue when a member of his congregation, Nathaniel Brazill, was prosecuted as an adult for fatally shooting a Lake Worth teacher in 2000. Brazill committed the crime when he was 13 and was sentenced when he was 14 to 28 years in prison for second- degree murder.
The catalyst for the new organization, however, was the Pensacola trial three weeks ago of Alex and Derek King. They were 12 and 13 when their father, Terry King, 40, was beaten to death with an aluminum baseball bat Nov. 26. Firefighters found the body inside the family' burning home in nearby Cantonment.
Many Under Our Wings members have been circulating a petition urging that the brothers, convicted of arson and second-degree murder without a weapon, be sentenced ``as the children that they are rather than as the adults that they are not.''
They face prison terms of 22 years to life, although Circuit Judge Frank Bell can go below those guidelines in the sentencing set for December.
The petition is addressed to Bell and Gov. Jeb Bush, who is chairman of the state Clemency Board.
Bell has set an Oct. 17 hearing on motions for a new trial.
Under Our Wings is dedicated to fighting adult prosecutions of children nationally, but Florida is a major target because it leads the nation, Miami lawyer Steve Harper said.
Florida is one of about 15 states that let prosecutors decide if juveniles should be prosecuted as adults.
``We know that we can get a much fairer decision if a judge decides, particularly a juvenile judge,'' Masters said.
Boys' Trial Sparks Group To Action
By BILL KACZOR The Associated Press
Published: Sep 26, 2002
PENSACOLA - Opponents of prosecuting children as adults have formed a national advocacy group in response to the trial of two Florida Panhandle boys convicted of killing their father.
Under Our Wings was formed during a conference call Tuesday among 19 people from California to New York.
``When we start prosecuting our children as adults, people know that something is wrong with that,'' said the Rev. Thomas Masters, the group president. ``Now the problem is, how do you fix it?''
Masters, pastor of the New Macedonia Baptist Church in Rivera Beach, became an advocate on the issue when a member of his congregation, Nathaniel Brazill, was prosecuted as an adult for fatally shooting a Lake Worth teacher in 2000. Brazill committed the crime when he was 13 and was sentenced when he was 14 to 28 years in prison for second- degree murder.
The catalyst for the new organization, however, was the Pensacola trial three weeks ago of Alex and Derek King. They were 12 and 13 when their father, Terry King, 40, was beaten to death with an aluminum baseball bat Nov. 26. Firefighters found the body inside the family' burning home in nearby Cantonment.
Many Under Our Wings members have been circulating a petition urging that the brothers, convicted of arson and second-degree murder without a weapon, be sentenced ``as the children that they are rather than as the adults that they are not.''
They face prison terms of 22 years to life, although Circuit Judge Frank Bell can go below those guidelines in the sentencing set for December.
The petition is addressed to Bell and Gov. Jeb Bush, who is chairman of the state Clemency Board.
Bell has set an Oct. 17 hearing on motions for a new trial.
Under Our Wings is dedicated to fighting adult prosecutions of children nationally, but Florida is a major target because it leads the nation, Miami lawyer Steve Harper said.
Florida is one of about 15 states that let prosecutors decide if juveniles should be prosecuted as adults.
``We know that we can get a much fairer decision if a judge decides, particularly a juvenile judge,'' Masters said.