11-28-2017, 04:11 PM
(11-28-2017, 03:05 PM)Benton Wrote: Agreed.
In Kentucky, we have had a little news lately, following a SCOTUS decision, on cases where juveniles convicted of murder have directly or indirectly been sentenced to life without parole.
https://www.usnews.com/news/best-states/kentucky/articles/2017-07-31/4-in-kentucky-seek-new-sentences-for-juvenile-murder-cases
Personally, I don't have a huge problem with functional life without parole in some cases. Like the Phon case above and the Buchanan, the murders they committed showed very little regard for human life at a young age. It would be difficult for them to return and contribute to society. It goes back to the idea of prison serving in place of banishment. But that's getting a little OT from the Brown case, which, hopefully, makes it easier for kids to get out of the lifestyle which precipitated her crime.
California is getting very bad in this regard. Although, thankfully, murder will still likely get you transferred to adult court the process is much less certain now. I have, recently, seen murder cases stay in the juvenile system for minors over the age of 14. What we are starting to see is what prompted the certification to adult court process in the first place; that juveniles are being used to commit serious crimes because the amount of time they face is significantly shorter. At the same time, the more lenient punishments are emboldening the criminal population and you won't find a single LEO, parole or probation officer in this state who won't privately admit to noticing it.
(11-28-2017, 03:11 PM)GMDino Wrote: That's the point. She wasn't on a murder spree or part of a gang. Maybe nine years is enough...for her.
Maybe it is. Right now there's a guy in prison serving life without parole who, if you let him out today, would never commit another crime. Two things; one, there is no way of actually knowing that and two, the sentence was handed down as punishment. You didn't address my analogy above about mitigating punishment and what that teaches people about consequences. A human being, no matter what you thought of him as a person, is dead because of this woman's actions. There has to be a punishment for such an action and nine years is not worth a human being's life.
I'll add this, the law doesn't exist to prevent crime, although for those who fear consequences it has that effect. The law exists to provide a framework to punish those who violate it.
