A person who commits murder at the age of 17 years, 364 days is exempt from the death penalty, regardless of how horrible the crime or how many people he kills.
Should that one day further exempt the murderer from a true life-without-parole sentence, holding out the possibility of parole regardless of the crime? Should the 17-year-old get a double discount for murder compared to the 18-year-old? Some people think so. California State Senator Leland Yee is trying again. He has put cosmetic changes on his bill, SB9, but it still amounts to a possibility of parole.
Crime Victims Action Alliance has this update, with links to contact Assembly members.
Note: California already exempts under-16s, so people who say this bill is about "children" are using an ambiguous term in an intentionally deceptive way. [Try standing in front of a class of high school juniors and saying, "Good morning, children." See what kind of reaction you get.]
Should that one day further exempt the murderer from a true life-without-parole sentence, holding out the possibility of parole regardless of the crime? Should the 17-year-old get a double discount for murder compared to the 18-year-old? Some people think so. California State Senator Leland Yee is trying again. He has put cosmetic changes on his bill, SB9, but it still amounts to a possibility of parole.
Crime Victims Action Alliance has this update, with links to contact Assembly members.
Note: California already exempts under-16s, so people who say this bill is about "children" are using an ambiguous term in an intentionally deceptive way. [Try standing in front of a class of high school juniors and saying, "Good morning, children." See what kind of reaction you get.]
Con Law hypos:
Juvenile shoots someone when juvenile is 17 yrs, 364 days old--person lingers for a few days and then dies. Is the crime death-eligible? Or say state statute allows death penalty for two or more murders in a criminal episode. Juvenile kills one witness to a crime on the day before his birthday and one on the day after. Death eligible? Or say, juvenile sets a trap to kill, but trap doesn't kill until after juvenile reaches majority.