ive seen what happens when kids this age get put into the system....usually ends bad

ive also seeen what happens when kids this age dont get properly punished....usually ends bad

there needs to be some middle ground like community service every weekend for 6 months and financial restitution if appropriate....its best to keep kids out of prison where they meet other criminals and get branded with a bad reputation in the community...with the exception of violent crimes. i have no tolerance for the violent, no matter how young they are

ide also advise that fella to never consent to a search again :-)

A year in jail isn't going to help this kid.

Having been put in the system near that age (17) All I can say is I'm glad they did it. Probably saved my life. 5 years of probation and 5 grand fine is not too bad.

Sounds like your client doesn't have much to ponder. What are the max fines for negotiable offenses? That's the only way I see him getting a better deal. Campaign contributions to said DA (if elected) or magistrate/judge might be helpful too, but that's kind of where you pay attention.

So the DA is saying $2000 (covers court costs) and 1 yr in special custody (which will be 8 months if he keeps his nose clean I'm guessing)

or

a total of $24,000 in fines and 24 years if he gets the max on all charges

Too bad the DA wouldn't expunge the Felony Auto also after the probation runs out.

I have never understood that remark...

There were 85 cases on the docket for the next 2 weeks of trial settings. 5 were dismissed. 3 were continued. 74 were pled out oncluding 6 first offense sale of marijuana < ounce cases (each got 3-6 years (2-5 suspended, 1 to serve) + 3-5 years probabtion). 3 cases were continued.

I held out for a trial...probably could have gor a better deal but for the burglary charges. It was tough presenting this to the kid and his parents.

He will if kid accepts deal. Likely he'll have to spend the entire 1 year in custody tho....

It sucks, but its not a life sentence like a felony record.

Does "not oppose" mean its gets granted? I ask b/c here in Pa it doesn't, really, the judges hate to expunge.

I'm sure you layed out what the max is and what the courts are giving for the same charges and his chances of getting off scot free.

Sounds like the DA is going "ok, the meds and his medical problems might have some bearing on his actions, but in the long run you are responsible for your actions." He's giving the kid a chance to prove himself. Do a easy time year and keep your nose clean and you will get your life back.

Unless he is prepared to hire a bunch of expensive expert witnesses to prove he wasn't responsible for his actions, he has two options. Take the deal or run.

I explored the idea of expert witnesses; i.e., his current doc and psychologist. Both said, yeah his judgment was impaired but not to the extent that he didn't know what he was doing or that what he was doing wasn't illegal. Even if they had said he was temporarily insane, he still was able to maintain a job, socialize on some levels, etc.

Even if they had said he was whacked out at the end of the day it would just be another witness and the jury could determine what weight to put on their testimony. It was a losing longshot IMO.

Plus the jury will be made up of primarily two extremes...upper middle class that don't want drugs in their neighborhood or their nice cars burglarized and lower income people who would think that my client would be getting better treatment than their own kids.

Finally, the judge I drew is very stern and tough on drug cases.

If I were the kid, I'd take the deal. And then the Smart thing would be to take courses while "in" and do as much good as he can. Get out, get back in school, and stay in School until EVERYTHING is done and expunged. He then will be employable.

Poor dumb kid. But for the grace of god, there go I, or many of us.

This kid needs boot camp. If anything I'd punish him for being stupid enough to consent to a police search of his car. Why does anyone EVER do that?

Dude should have never been put on all those drugs to begin with.

JOIN THE MARINES OR OFF TO THE GRAYBAR MOTEL with big louie as his cellmate.


judge oddjob...............law west of the pecos.

Well at least was not in Singapore ... possession of 2 grams of ANY controlled substance = mandatory death penalty, usually carried within a month.

No, no, no!

Singapore has changed since the son took over. It actually tries to be liberal.

Very few death sentences unless its large scale heroin sales etc.

You can see kids firing up reefers on Boat Quay these days.

That frankly is crap. If cop asks you to commit an illegal act it's entrapment, but when he threatens some dirtbag to ask you, it's not? Total BS.

I will piss off a TON of people here.

The choice of 1 of the following.

4 year stint in the armed forces

1 year in jail

2 years picking up trash etc.

20 lashes (this should make him butt ass afraid to remove the tag on his mattress or jay walk. AND not cost us, the tax payer much. )