November 16, 2009
San Jose Halloween attack renews debate on locking up juveniles for life
They are not old enough to vote, have full driving privileges, join the military or buy a beer. Yet, three reputed teen gang members charged in San Jose's Halloween night attack on a pair of young trick-or-treaters face the very real prospect of spending the rest of their lives in prison.
Locked up in the Santa Clara County Jail, these 15- and 16-year-old boys now find themselves a portrait of the ongoing debate over imprisoning violent juvenile offenders for life. That is the potential sentence if these high-school-age defendants are convicted of the most serious charges against them, including the attempted murders of the 12- and 13-year-old victims.
The San Jose case, which has sparked a community outcry, is hitting the local courts at a time when there is renewed public and legal scrutiny nationally on the tension between dealing with rampant youth violence with harsh sentences and the age-old presumption that juvenile offenders should have a shot at reform…
LINK - MercuryNews.com
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