A group of LGBT
activist groups is petitioning the Ventura County,
Calif., district attorney not to try a 14-year-old boy
accused of murdering his gay classmate as an adult.
A group of LGBT
activist groups is petitioning the Ventura County,
Calif., district attorney not to try a 14-year-old boy
accused of murdering his gay classmate as an adult,
according to a press release from the coalition.
Brandon McInerney, who is being brought to trial for
the fatal shooting of Lawrence King, may be tried as an
adult, but the groups wrote in their statement that he
should be treated as a juvenile.
"The alleged
perpetrator, who turned 14 years old less than three
weeks before the shooting, should be held accountable for
his actions," the group wrote to the D.A. "But we
support the principles underlying our juvenile justice
system that treat children differently than adults and
provide greater hope and opportunity for
rehabilitation."
Twenty-seven
organizations signed the letter, including Lambda Legal, the
National Center for Lesbian Rights, the Transgender Law
Center, several chapters of the American Civil
Liberties Union, and the Human Rights Campaign. They
cited research by the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention that found that children tried as adults are more
likely to commit another crime than those tried as
juveniles.
"Prosecuting the
alleged perpetrator as an adult will not bring
Lawrence King back nor will it make schools safer for LGBT
youth," the letter read. "We must respond to this
tragedy by strengthening our resolve to change the
climate in schools, eliminate bigotry based on sexual
orientation, gender identity, or expression, and hold
schools responsible for protecting students against
discrimination and physical harm." (The
Advocate)
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