Supreme Court denies appeal of “boy killer”
No, “boy killer” doesn’t mean an adult that killed a boy. Rather, more shockingly, it refers to a 12-year-old who brutally murdered both of his grandparents with a shotgun 7 years ago. Christopher Pittman, now 19, was sentenced to 30 years in prison and had appealed his conviction all the way to the Supreme Court, who have denied it.
The justices, without comment, refused to intervene. At issue was whether the state properly used its discretion to try Pittman as an adult, whether the sentence was excessive, and whether mitigating factors should apply.
Outside a death-penalty context, the high court has offered little recent guidance on how to treat underage defendants.
Pittman’s lawyers argued no other inmate in the United States is serving so severe a sentence for a crime committed at such an early age.
The inmate’s legal team, from the University of Texas Law School, expressed disappointment at the high court’s refusal to accept the case.
Michele Deitch, an attorney and adjunct professor, speculated the justices may “have recognized a growing national trend against sentencing young children to harsh mandatory terms in prison, and wants to give state legislatures the opportunity to correct this problem before it rules on the issue.”
Information from: http://www.cnn.com/2008/CRIME/04/14/juve...
