11-year-old American is youngest person in world to face life without parole

SharpshooterTom

http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2011/01/youngest-american-life-without-parole/

I'm all for tougher sentences against murderers and other serious crimes, but this is a bit harsh isn't it??

Dravokivich

Boy's claim of innocence prompted judge to try him as adult

That'll teach him not to lie!

or the rest of ye....

11-year-old Pennsylvanian is youngest person in world to face life without parole

By Daniel Tencer
Tuesday, January 25th, 2011 -- 8:46 pm
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jordanbrownafp 11 year old Pennsylvanian is youngest person in world to face life without parole

Boy's claim of innocence prompted judge to try him as adult

A Pennsylvania boy who was 11 years old when he allegedly shot and killed his father's pregnant fiancee could find himself being the youngest person ever sentenced to life without parole.

Human rights campaigners have said the case shows the US' justice system to be unusually harsh towards juvenile offenders, and argue that a life sentence for the boy could violate international law.

Prosecutors allege that Jordan Brown, now 13, shot and killed 26-year-old Kenzie Houk as she slept in her home in Lawrence County, near Pittsburgh, in February, 2009. Houk was pregnant with a nearly full-term child at the time. Brown was charged with two counts of homicide.

Brown's lawyers on Tuesday argued an appeal against a judge's earlier decision to have the adolescent tried as an adult.

Pennsylvania's laws on juvenile trials are among the least accommodating in the country, with juvenile suspects in homicide cases automatically tried as adults, unless a judge decides otherwise.

According to WTAE in Pittsburgh, the judge's original decision to try Brown as an adult was based on Brown's refusal to admit guilt. Brown's lawyers argued Wednesday that the decision violated his right to be presumed innocent, as well as his right to avoid self-incrimination.

Deborah Houk, the victim's mother, had little sympathy for Jordan Brown's plight.

"He knew what he was doing. He killed my baby," she said of Brown in an interview not long after the murders. The Houk family has put up a website attempting to dispel a growing movement seeking to defend Brown.

But human rights group Amnesty International said that Brown is the youngest person the international organization knows of anywhere in the world facing a life sentence without possibility of parole.

"It is shocking that anyone this young could face life imprisonment without parole, let alone in a country which labels itself as a progressive force for human rights," Susan Lee, Amnesty International's director for the Americas, said in a statement.

Amnesty notes that the US is one of only two countries in the world who have refused to ratify the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. Somalia is the other country.

Jordan Brown is the youngest person known to Amnesty International to be currently at risk of being sentenced to life imprisonment with no parole. However, there are already at least 2,500 people in the US serving life imprisonment without parole for crimes committed when they were under 18.

According to the Guardian, Pennsylvania has 450 juveniles serving life sentences, more than any other state.

The Supreme Court has been moving in recent years towards greater protection for juvenile offenders. It ended the death penalty for people under 18 in 2005, and last year made homicide the only crime for which juveniles can be given a life sentence.

The Washington-based Sentencing Project told the Guardian that the US is the only country in the world that has juveniles serving life without parole. "That leads to only two conclusions: either kids in the US are far more violent than those in the rest of the world, or the US has developed uniquely harsh sentences."

Jordan Brown's father, whose fiancee was killed that night in 2009, agreed with the Sentencing Project, saying his son was too young to fully understand the consequences of his actions.

"Try to explain to a 12-year-old what the rest of your life means," he said. "It's incomprehensible for him."

iPlop

Prosecutors allege that Jordan Brown, now 13, shot and killed 26-year-old Kenzie Houk as she slept in her home in Lawrence County, near Pittsburgh, in February, 2009. Houk was pregnant with a nearly full-term child at the time. Brown was charged with two counts of homicide.

He deserves it

Wolfe Tone

He killed his fathers pregnant fiancé and pled not guilty, little bastard deserves it

phill106

What about the fifth amendment, the right not to incriminate himself?

phasers

I've no sympathy for the little cnut.

sensibleken

MATLOOOOOCKK!

Ghandee

The little shiite killed a pregnant woman, AND a nearly full term unborn baby ffs! No matter how you look at it, he murdered two people in cold blood!

Fcuk em!

I've absolutely zero sympathy for him, let him rot wherever it is he's headed for!

The Waltzing Consumer

phill106 wrote: »

What about the fifth amendment, the right not to incriminate himself?

Ha, read the amendment :rolleyes:. He has the right not to be a witness against himself. That has nothing to do with his plea of guilty or not guilty.

MagicMarker

I remember when this was first posted on boards, I can't say I'd be against life but the option of parole should be there. Just not for a very very long time.

TheZohanS

All he did was discharge a firearm, stupid law, he shouldn't go to jail for it.

/sarcasm

Chuchoter

I don't think thats fair. He was 11. At eleven you don't understand life and death. This woman and her baby were replacing him in the eyes of his father. He deserves to be punished, he doesn't deserve to be locked away the rest of his life.

Lux23

Ghandee wrote: »

The little shiite killed a pregnant woman, AND a nearly full term unborn baby ffs! No matter how you look at it, he murdered two people in cold blood!

Fcuk em!

I've absolutely zero sympathy for him, let him rot wherever it is he's headed for.our

He is 11. I have nothing but sympathy for him and his family.

arybvtcw0eolkf

Ok I'm torn between siding with the 'its too harsh' camp, and my belief that the two murders of little James Bulger should spend the rest of their lives in prison.

But this little lad killed an adult, what did she do to make him do it?.

Wolfe Tone

crayolastereo wrote: »

I don't think thats fair. He was 11. At eleven you don't understand life and death. This woman and her baby were replacing him in the eyes of his father. He deserves to be punished, he doesn't deserve to be locked away the rest of his life.

You would be surprised, 11, not 3.

Wolfe Tone

Destiny Stale Compass wrote: »

Ok I'm torn between siding with the 'its too harsh' camp, and my belief that the two murders of little James Bulger should spend the rest of their lives in prison.

But this little lad killed an adult, what did she do to make him do it?.

He killed a baby too, was a double homicide

prinz

crayolastereo wrote: »

He was 11. At eleven you don't understand life and death..

He understood enough about life and death to get a gun and shoot a sleeping woman. For crying out loud he was 11 not 1, you don't think 11 year olds understand the difference between life and death?

Asphyxia

No sympathy from me either. Even at 11 years of age he should still know the dangers of guns. This will hopefully teach him a lesson.

Ghandee

Lux23 wrote: »

He is 11. I have nothing but sympathy for him and his family.

Curious here.

Would you still feel that way if it was some of your family members he shot?

good logs...

what if it was your little boy????? or family members child?????

biko

If he ever gets out he will have been raised in prison and not very good at functioning in civil society.
A life wasted, actually three lives wasted.

saywhatyousee

Pocketfizz wrote: »

No sympathy from me either. Even at 11 years of age he should still know the dangers of guns. This will hopefully teach him a lesson.

life without parole is probaly the harshest sentence one can get.
i would rather death than life without parole.i think he will learn his lession

PrincessLola

Destiny Stale Compass wrote: »

Ok I'm torn between siding with the 'its too harsh' camp, and my belief that the two murders of little James Bulger should spend the rest of their lives in prison.

But this little lad killed an adult, what did she do to make him do it?.

So all murder victims must have done something to deserve being murdered? Bull****

Anyway I don't think he should get life but he should be punished for what he did to those two people.

ScumLord

Wolfe Tone wrote: »

He killed his fathers pregnant fiancé and pled not guilty, little bastard deserves it

Is the case over already your honer?

Manic Moran

Pocketfizz wrote: »

Even at 11 years of age he should still know the dangers of guns.

I believe his choice of the use of a firearm to conduct the killing indicates that he was quite aware of the inherent lethality of firearms.

NTM

Chuchoter

prinz wrote: »

He understood enough about life and death to get a gun and shoot a sleeping woman. For crying out loud he was 11 not 1, you don't think 11 year olds understand the difference between life and death?

I don't think 11 year olds understand the finality of death. When my brother was 11 he still believed in Santa. If he killed the person who was replacing him in the life of the only person that mattered to him, I would understand.

I don't think you can equate this situation with Jamie Bulger. He was a random 3 year old, it was meticulously planned and they didn't just kill him. There was humiliation, torture and sexual abuse.

Deisekickboxing

2weeks grounding. Without pocket money .......that's enough

Cheap Thrills!

good logs... wrote: »

what if it was your little boy????? or family members child?????

I'd still say fcuk him. Someone in my family did something I couldn't tolerate and I had zero guilt about cutting that person dead FOR EVER.

The law is the same for everyone. If your brother, sister, child, parent, whatever does something unforgivable you cut them off if you are a decent person.

You don't enable them and excuse them on the basis that they're your blood.

People who protect/defend murderers/child abusers etc because they are family are just as bad as the perpetrator.

You cut them dead, that's what you do.

Agent Smith

Let him rot tbh

Ghandee

ScumLord wrote: »

Is the case over already your honer?

http://www.urbandictionary.com/iphone/#define?term=honer
:D:D

Laisurg

I'd be very interested in why he shot and killed her, if it was for no reason whatever i still wouldn't be in favor of this, kids act on impulse and why he should still go to prison of course but i think life without any chance of parole for an 11 year old is stupidly harsh, like the father says how is a kid meant to understand this, not only that but what happens to the father? His wife is dead and now his son is never going to see daylight again, he's completely alone, he also doesn't feel that he should be going away forever.

Then again it is the states, sometimes that place looks worse than here.

Cheap Thrills!

crayolastereo wrote: »

I don't think 11 year olds understand the finality of death. When my brother was 11 he still believed in Santa. If he killed the person who was replacing him in the life of the only person that mattered to him, I would understand.

Yes, they do understand the finality of death. Even a 3 year old understands that.

He is a selfish little b0ll0x, even if he was being replaced then it still doesn't justify him killing someone. Don't tell me he doesn't know that. He did and if he didn't then he is either born a sociopath or parented so badly that he was out of control.

Zero symapthy. At 11 you have reason. FFS you have the power of reason at 7/8.

jd007

crayolastereo wrote: »

I don't think thats fair. He was 11. At eleven you don't understand life and death.

You can't be for real? :eek:

bradlente

Being able to pick up a gun with the week's shoppin dosn't help matters.

BASHIR

I find it sad that an eleven year old child can get his hands on a gun, yes i do feel that the boy knew what he was doing. IMO he deserves the the life sentence. Without parole is harsh though 40 years time or when his sentence is up, will this person have changed I'd like to think so. Does he deserve another chance then well I honestly dont know.

Gun laws need so much reform in the states its crazy.

SharpshooterTom

What about the death penalty??

Lumen

Er, he's not been convicted yet.

As you were.

Big Pussy Bonpensiero

Deserves every day of that sentence tbh. If he's able to do what he did at 11 I shudder to think what he'll be capable of when he's older. We're better off without people like that in the world and the sooner we get them out of society the better.

MagicMarker

Lumen wrote: »

Er, he's not been convicted yet.

As you were.

You might want to read up on the story. It's pretty much a clear cut case.

Lumen

MagicMarker wrote: »

You might want to read up on the story. It's pretty much a clear cut case.

You're right. Never mind the trial, let's just kill him now.

BASHIR

THFC wrote: »

Deserves every day of that sentence tbh. If he's able to do what he did at 11 I shudder to think what he'll be capable of when he's older. We're better off without people like that in the world and the sooner we get them out of society the better.

I see where your coming from, I used to think like that too, and to a certain extent I'd agree with you, but I seen a documentary recently where violent criminals were given a dog from an animal shelter to raise and teach to function as pets. It was amazing to see the effects the responsibility and goals had on the inmates. It had a drastic changing on there behavior and attitude. More of these are popping up all over prisons in America and you would be surprised of the effectiveness of them.

http://www.coyotecommunications.com/dogs/prisondogs.html

Laisurg

biko wrote: »

If he ever gets out he will have been raised in prison and not very good at functioning in civil society.
A life wasted, actually three lives wasted.

This is a very good point, however it still doesn't mean that they should lock him away forever even if he wouldn't function well if he got out.

MagicMarker

Lumen wrote: »

You're right. Never mind the trial, let's just kill him now.

facepalm

Magic Pips

bradlente wrote: »

Being able to pick up a gun with the week's shoppin dosn't help matters.

He was bought a "youth" shotgun for christmas, his father testified about his prowess with a gun.

http://www.news.com.au/world/boy-11-charged-with-killing-dads-fiancee/story-e6frfkyi-1225698582017

Tordelback

Somewhere along the line I missed where we all decided prison was no longer about being a deterrent to crime, and a means of rehabilitation of criminals. It's just about punishment, is it? Retribution? While I fully agree that an 11 year old should be expected to know life from death, and to an extent right from wrong, I'd argue strongly that his morality and personality isn't yet fully formed - was yours, at 11? Did you never do things aged 11 that you would never do now, like shoplifting, throwing stones, swearing at your parents, graffiti? These aren't remotely the same thing as murder, and I'm not suggesting that they are, but they are surely indicate the moral immaturity that all kids have.

It seems fair to me that a premeditated double murder should receive a life sentence, even if the perpetrator is 11. However, to deny that child the opportunity to be reassessed when he has become an adult, when he can fully appreciate what he has done, to have no chance of rehabilitation and parole... well that seems distinctly unjust.

UglyBolloxFace

crayolastereo wrote: »

This woman and her baby were replacing him in the eyes of his father.

That, my friend, suggests motive and premeditation....thus, the sentence should stand.

iPlop

UglyBolloxFace wrote: »

That, my friend, suggests motive and premeditation....thus, the sentence should stand.

i agree ,Nice username bro:pac:

UglyBolloxFace

Sink The Banana wrote: »

i agree ,Nice username bro:pac:

Why thank you sir, I would have to say the same to you...evokes images of a 70s porno.

sdanseo

biko wrote: »

If he ever gets out he will have been raised in prison and not very good at functioning in civil society.
A life wasted, actually three lives wasted.

This.

might as well give him the death penalty, because tbh he will NEVER integrate into society or have ANY hope of rehabilitation if the US justice system has its way. And arguably, it's the US gun system and gun mentality that probably gave rise to the incident in the first place.

Father should be imprisoned too for spawning a son capable of murder - he has to have done something seriously wrong in terms of how he parented the kid.

Madam

Not sure about this, I did think of myself when I was eleven and tbh I don't think it would have entered my head to shoot someone (that came much later when I reached puberty;))but these are different times and kids grow up more quickly nowaday(or so it seems)and are a lot more knowing that I ever was:(

I blame video games. And society.

This.

might as well give him the death penalty, because tbh he will NEVER integrate into society or have ANY hope of rehabilitation if the US justice system has its way. And arguably, it's the US gun system and gun mentality that probably gave rise to the incident in the first place.

I'm totally against the death penalty, but in this case I think it might be a mercy & the better thing to do. Still though, I guess he should get a chance in jail - he could still turn it into something useful.