Juvenile Justice

Boy and pal, both 14, get life in slaying of his great-grandmother, 78

Apparently motivated by a desire for marijuana and pizza, two Wisconsin teens killed the 78-year-old great-grandmother of one of the boys last year with a hammer and a hatchet, then ransacked her Sheboygan home. They found $155 in cash and some jewelry, authorities said. Now 14 and convicted of first-degree…

Aug 13, 2013 6:35 PM CDT

Landmark ruling restricts ‘certification’ of teen offenders as adults

A Texas appeals court overturned the the adult certification of a juvenile in a murder case this week, the first certification overturned in the state in nearly 25 years. The decision of the 1st Court of Appeals in Houston represents a significant change in how the Texas county deals with…

Aug 9, 2013 8:06 PM CDT

Found not guilty by insanity for killing his family in 1967, defendant is now a college prof

Jim Wolcott left the town of Georgetown, Texas, and seemingly disappeared after a jury declared him sane in 1974. He had been found not guilty by reason of insanity just six years earlier for the 1967 shooting death of his father, a biology professor, and was never tried for the…

Aug 5, 2013 11:10 AM CDT

Young victims and their families are blamed after physical attacks

In an ugly response to a pervasive problem of abusive treatment of children by other children, fellow teens and adults have blamed the victims of recent physical attacks and even entire communities have seemingly turned on the victims and their families. In Elmwood, Ind., a pregnant 13-year-old who says she…

Jun 24, 2013 6:17 PM CDT

Teen arrested in exploding water bottle experiment will return to regular high school next year

There’s more good news for a Florida teen arrested in an exploding water bottle incident. Kiera Wilmot, 16, was arrested in April and sent to an alternative school after she mixed household products in a water bottle, causing a small explosion on the grounds of Bartow High School. The felony…

May 31, 2013 10:34 AM CDT

Teen won’t be criminally charged over exploding water bottle she called a science project fail

All criminal charges have been dropped against a Florida teen who initially faced an adult felony case after she mixed household chemicals in a water bottle and it exploded on school grounds. Kiera Wilmot, 16, has said the incident was a failed effort to develop possible science project. But even…

May 16, 2013 8:20 PM CDT

Dad faces child-endangerment and weapon charges after authorities say son, 4, shot playmate to death

The father of a 4-year-old boy accused of shooting a 6-year-old playmate to death last month is facing multiple charges of child endangerment and one count of enabling access by minors to a loaded firearm. Anthony Senatore, 33, of Toms River, N.J., is cooperating, says his lawyer, Robert Ebberup, but…

May 15, 2013 4:20 PM CDT

Teen goalie is charged with homicide by assault in ref’s death

A 17-year-old goalie from Utah has been charged with third-degree felony homicide by assault after he was accused of punching a volunteer soccer referee who later died. Salt Lake County prosecutors are seeking to move the case into adult court, report the New York Times and the Salt Lake Tribune.…

May 9, 2013 3:02 PM CDT

Arkansas seeks return of ailing and aging convict who fled in 1970

The state of Arkansas wants the return of Lester Stiggers, convicted of murder at the age of 15. The 63-year-old Stiggers, who fled to Michigan while on a furlough in 1970, was surprised when an Associated Press reporter informed him of the extradition request. Stiggers no longer works after suffering…

May 9, 2013 2:04 PM CDT

Soccer ref dies nearly a week after he is punched by 17-year-old goalie; charges are under review

A volunteer soccer referee has died nearly a week after he was punched by a 17-year-old goalkeeper, spurring prosecutors to review charges against the youth. The referee, 46-year-old Ricardo Portillo of Salt Lake City, died on Saturday when he was taken off life support, report the Associated Press and the…

May 6, 2013 12:00 PM CDT

Teen faces felony charges in exploding water bottle incident; was it a science project gone bad?

Updated: A Florida teen is no longer facing adult felony charges after she caused a small explosion on school grounds in what her friends say was a science experiment gone bad. Kiera Wilmot, 16, was accused of mixing household chemicals in a water bottle, causing the top to blow off…

May 2, 2013 11:00 AM CDT

SCOTUS declines case on de facto life sentences for juveniles

The U.S. Supreme Court declined to clear up some confusion over lengthy sentences for juveniles when it refused last week to hear the case of a juvenile who won’t be eligible for early release until he is 95 years old. The defendant, Chaz Bunch of Ohio, was convicted of kidnapping…

Apr 30, 2013 6:37 PM CDT

Teen, 14, arrested after refusing to remove NRA T-shirt

A West Virginia middle school student was arrested and pulled from school Thursday, accused of creating a disruption after he refused a teacher’s demand that he remove a T-shirt that displayed the logo of the National Rifle Association and a rifle. Jared Marcum, 14, his stepfather and lawyer maintain the…

Apr 22, 2013 4:14 PM CDT

Who died at boys reform school over last century, and how? State AG asks judge to OK exhumation

Seeking to provide some answers to questions that have been raised about an unknown number of deaths at a Florida reform school over the course of the last century, the state’s attorney general on Tuesday asked a judge to OK an exhumation. “The deaths that occurred at Dozier School for…

Mar 13, 2013 4:15 PM CDT

NYC cops keep tabs on potential teen robbers with frequent interaction and fake Facebook profiles

New York City police are trying to dissuade potential teen robbers with a novel approach that involves early intervention and monitoring of social media. The program targets juveniles arrested for robbery in East Harlem and the Brownsville section of Brooklyn, the New York Times reports. Police figure out each teen’s…

Mar 5, 2013 12:00 PM CST