Juvenile Cases
Review the articles Judge to Decide on Moving Teen’s Murder Case to Juvenile Court and Teen Seeks Juvenile Trial In Georgia Baby Killing.
In your post, apply case law to construct arguments that answer the following questions:
If you were the judge, would you transfer either of the above cases to juvenile court? Why or why not?
Analyze the scenarios using the mitigating circumstances and risk assessments detailed in your text; what factors or circumstances influenced your rationale in answering the question in part a?
In response to your peers, support or challenge their responses with one additional evidence-based point of rationale. Ensure your response highlights prevailing juveniles’ constitutional rights.
To complete this assignment, review the Discussion Rubric document.
Peer 1 reply
In the article, ”Teen Seeks Juvenile Trial in Georgia Baby Killing,” I would not transfer 16-year-old Dominique Lang to juvenile court. At the age of 15, he accompanied 18-year-old De’Marquise Elkins and in the commission of a robbery a 13-month-old child and his mother were shot and the child died. Lang was 15-years-old at the time of the incident and was well aware of why he and Elkins were confronting Sherry West on that day. He knowingly assisted in the attempted robbery and was an accomplice to the child’s murder and the mother’s injuries and loss.
In the article, “Teen’s murder trial won’t go to juvenile court,” I would not transfer 16-year-old Morgan Lane Arnold to juvenile court. Regardless of Arnold being 14 when the incident occurred, she planned; spoke about, and ultimately influenced her boyfriend’s actions in stabbing her father to death. They also planned to kill her father’s fiance. Significant mental illness is also a reason for Arnold to be transferred to adult court in order to seek long-term treatment. At age 14, Arnold understood the consequences of her actions but seemed to show no remorse as evidenced by recorded conversations from her detention. Additionally, Arnold is a threat to the public safety as she shows no remorse; planned the execution of her father and his fiance; and obviously has the abilities to influence her peers to take heinous action.
References
Associated Press. (n.d.). Teen Seeks Juvenile Trial In Georgia Baby Killing. Retrieved from https://www.wctv.tv/home/headlines/Suspects-Comments-Allowed-In-Baby-Killing-Case-218344511.html
Simms, B., & Simms, B. (2017, October 09). Teen’s murder trial won’t go to juvenile court. Retrieved from https://www.wbaltv.com/article/teen-s-murder-trial-won-t-go-to-juvenile-court/7088637
Peer 2 reply
Class,
Based on both articles provided for this discussion, as a judge I would not transfer neither case to juvenile case because we are talking about another human beings life taken because of someone else’s unethical decision making.
In the article “Judge to Decide on Moving Teen’s Murder Case to Juvenile Court” it states that the defendant, Morgan Lane Arnold, is accused of plotting to kill her father, Dennis Lane, and his fiancee. After the testimony was heard, Morgan, appeared to have a mental illness and described by the judge as a “public safety hazard”. In addition, per the recorder jailhouse conversations between Morgan and her mom, Morgan proceeds to tell her mom that “He tormented me, yelled at me, and deserved to die. Morgan further stated to her mom that “Everyday of her life she wished he would die.” As a judge this tells me that she has anger problems, and whoever steps in her way and ticks her off could be the next “victim.” As a judge do I really want a “mentally” unstable juvenile to be tried at a juvenile level, and taking a risk of her walking free later on down the road and causing harm to someone else? Based on the facts presented in this case, as a judge I would not transfer this case over to juvenile court. We are talking about an unstable person who conspired with her boyfriend, Jason Bulmer, to take another person life.
Based on the article “Teens Seeks Juvenile Trial In Georgia Baby Killing”, as a judge I would not move this case to juvenile court. Based on the testimony by, Dominique Lane, accompanied an older teen, De’Marquise Elkins, who shot the child while trying to rob his mother, Sherry West, who was later shot also after refusing to give them money. This tells me that both individuals do not care about someones else’s safety. This also tells me that both individuals are a risk to public safety and should spend time for their actions rather than being let go “easy.” The fact that Lane and his attorneys argue that the case should be moved to juvenile court in order for him to be avoid being prosecuted for murder tells me that he has a ” I don’t care attitude.” As a judge my decision would be based on evidence presented for this case in order to make a better decision. We only know a little about the case and not the whole story.
The mitigating circumstances that exists in both of the articles includes “murder”. Based on the evidence presented in both cases and the circumstances my decisions were based on that. Anyone who decides to take another persons life should be prosecuted to the full extent.
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Juvenile Discussion Outline
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