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BGay.com News

Tuesday, Feb 09th, 2010
BGay News
LGBT Groups: Try Lawrence King's Killer as a Juvenile
 
on 04-15-2008 14:47

LOS ANGELES, CA  --  Lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans activists have issued a statement asking the Ventura County, CA, district attorney to try the 14-year old murderer of gay teenager Lawrence King as a juvenile.Lawrence King

15-year-old Lawrence King was brutally shot in the schoolyard by classmate Brandon McInerney at E.O. Green Junior High School in Oxnard, California, in February. He later died from his injuries.

In a joint statement, 27 LGBT activist groups, including Lambda Legal, The National Center for Lesbian Rights, GLSEN, and The Transgender Law Center, now urges the DA to try McInerney in juvenile court:

"We are saddened and outraged by the murder of junior high school student Lawrence King. At the same time, we call on prosecutors not to compound this tragedy with another wrong, we call on them to treat the suspect as a juvenile, not as an adult.

"The facts in this matter seem clear: one boy killed another in a climate of intolerance and fear about sexual orientation and gender expression. The alleged perpetrator, who turned 14 years old less than three weeks before the shooting, should be held accountable for his actions.

"But we support the principles underlying our juvenile justice system that treat children differently than adults and provide greater hope and opportunity for rehabilitation. California law does not require District Attorneys to prosecute 14 year-olds as adults, even in circumstances such as these, and we oppose them doing so.

"We are issuing this joint statement because we believe so strongly in principles of justice that protect all our young people and know that, even in the face of strong emotions, we should not abandon them.

"We refuse to let our sense of outrage blind us to the fact that the suspect is only 14 years old."

Last update: 04-15-2008 14:47

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Users' Comments (2)
Posted by Hector, on 04-20-2008 18:30,
1. I disagree
This will likely sound cruel, but at 14, you really should already know better than to shoot someone just because you did something you don't like. If you are old enough to pick up a gun and willfully shoot someone, you are old enough to face the full consequences.  
 
Further, the parents of this boy should be held partly responsible for this as well. Maybe when parents start being responsible for what their offspring do they will start taking what they teach them more seriously.
 
» Report this comment to administrator

Posted by Hans, on 04-20-2008 21:58,
2. RE: I disagree
This is completetly bullshit. Any five year old can "willfully" pick up a gun and shoot somebody. It doesn't mean that he can grasp the full consequence of his action. That's why their called kids!!!
 
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