High School Kid Sentenced To 15 Years For Plotting To Do His Own Columbine

[NovaKart]

It mentioned in the article that he had stolen a firearm from someone's house so that does make me think he was reall planning something violent. I don't know how I feel about the sentence. At least the judge really thought hard about it saying it was her most difficult case and didn't give him the full penalty.

 

[Yeekim]

Well...
He was guilty of charges raised against him. Maximum punishment would have been 37 years, he was given 15 - less than half of it.

So, while the punishment was imho unreasonably harsh, we can't really blame the judge.

 

[Luckymoose]

Should have put him to death for potential crimes against Americans.

 

[Formaldehyde]

Austin Cook was sentenced to 2 years of community service and 8 years of probation after making a similar threat, albeit without as much evidence:

Jared Cano's attorney discusses options after judge issues 15-year prison sentence

Paulk represented Austin Cook, a Tampa teen accused of threatening to kill students at Leto High School in 2010. Cook eventually pleaded guilty to threatening to discharge a destructive device, and he was sentenced to two years of community control and eight years of probation.

A much lighter sentence, but much different evidence.

Cano's journal and 13-minutes of cellphone videos describe plans that seem very real, despite the fact that he did not have all the materials needed to make a bomb.

Prosecutors did not have anything like that in Cook's case.

Stetson Law professor Jacob brought up another issue: Cano was charged as an adult for something he was accused of when he was 16. Though transfers to the adult system are common in Florida, it is much more rare nationwide, Jacob said.

"The juvenile mind is not fully formed," Jacob said. "They're not nearly as responsible for their actions as they are in their 20s. Do you really want to put a boy in jail for 15 years when his mind is not really fully formed?"

 

[civver_764]

Even 8 years of probation is excessive. A person could completely transform within a matter of months, there's no reason to destroy their entire lives over one action.

 

[GhostWriter16]

Even 8 years of probation is excessive. A person could completely transform within a matter of months, there's no reason to destroy their entire lives over one action.

They could, but that's an abnormal case, and I don't know that eight years of probation qualifies as "Destroying your life."

In this case, the boy didn't actually hurt anyone, and we aren't certain that he was going to do anything, which is a huge mitigating factor. If he had actually blown up the bomb I'd have no objection to a death penalty.

Dunno. I assume that's what they displayed to the jury.

One thing that jumped out when reading the article is that he was tried as an adult. I think that's one of the biggest problems that our justice system is facing, trying 16, 15, 14, and hell 7 or 9 year old's as adults. This combined with mandatory minimums which tie the hands of the judge in using his discretion is what's resulting in sentences like these far out of proportion to offenses, worst is that Florida mandates that adults must serve 85% of the prison time, again removing discretion from the parole board.

I think there are some cases where trying a young person as an adult is acceptable.

 

[galdre]

I have no problem with minors being tried as adults when it involves violence or the threat of violence.

This kid's problems weren't due to age but mental health problems. He'd be better off in a hospital than a jail

 

[GhostWriter16]

Yeah, in this case I'm inclined to think you're right. But I don't think the problem is that we "Sometimes" try minors as adults. There are definitely cases where we should. Just maybe not this one.

 

[Snorrius]

Why tell you are going to blow up something before you actually do it?

 

[GhostWriter16]

Because he most likely wasn't actually going to do it.

 

[Terxpahseyton]

Frankly, he deserves the 15 years just for the pot. Don't do the crime if you can't do the time.

I am sorry I forgot. Who again does law serve? Humans? Or was it only those guys who can lay back and say "Haha told you so!"
Sorry VRWCAgent but sometimes you spout stuff with makes my hair stand in horror for all the other VRWCAgents out there.
This sentence it ridiculous and an impressive demonstration of how "law&order"-mentality has poisoned your justice system.
Is anyone who is going on a killing spree impressed by 15 years in prison? Oh please, there is not even any logic to be examined here. It just is plain horrible and stupid. My heart goes out to the kid. He may have wanted to be a deluxe bastard, but at least he is disturbed. The judge is the real sicko.
Stop
electing
public law professionals

 

[GhostWriter16]

To be fair, the judge may not have had much leeway (I really don't know.)

I think its silly to lock someone that you are eventually going to let out for 15 years, being locked up that long usually causes irrepairable harm.

 

[NickyJ]

Because he most likely wasn't actually going to do it.

Then why say you're going to do it?

I think it's perfectly fine he was booked. When a guy points a gun at me and says he's going to kill me, I kinda take his word for it.

 

[GhostWriter16]

Then why say you're going to do it?

I think it's perfectly fine he was booked. When a guy points a gun at me and says he's going to kill me, I kinda take his word for it.

There may have been some mental instability here.

The gun analogy isn't perfect since apparently he didn't have all the parts to the bomb.

I agree with what you're saying, I'm not saying he should get off scot-free, but from the info I have, 15 years seems a little excessive.

 

[Formaldehyde]

I think it's perfectly fine he was booked. When a guy points a gun at me and says he's going to kill me, I kinda take his word for it.

Only he didn't actually point a gun at anybody. And even if he had, the sentence would have been far less than 15 years.

 

[NickyJ]

There may have been some mental instability here.

The gun analogy isn't perfect since apparently he didn't have all the parts to the bomb.

I agree with what you're saying, I'm not saying he should get off scot-free, but from the info I have, 15 years seems a little excessive.

Consider it to be loading the gun. If someone waves an unloaded gun in my face, says he's going to kill me, and then begins to load that gun, I still take his word for it.

Either way, I don't give a damn. He was a menace to society. If he has mental problems, book him for the attempted terrorist act, then get him mental help and depending on how he handles it, consider reducing the sentence.

Only he didn't actually point a gun at anybody. And even if he had, the sentence would have been far less than 15 years.

Yeah, for one person it would be too many. But he was planning a new Columbine. That's a lot more than just one person.

 

[GhostWriter16]

Consider it to be loading the gun. If someone waves an unloaded gun in my face, says he's going to kill me, and then begins to load that gun, I still take his word for it.

Either way, I don't give a damn. He was a menace to society. If he has mental problems, book him for the attempted terrorist act, then get him mental help and depending on how he handles it, consider reducing the sentence.

Yeah, the problem isn't that he could theoretically serve 15 years, but that they literally can't reduce the sentence much. He HAS to serve 12 of those years no matter what, and he isn't as far as I can tell getting medical attention either.

I have no mercy on 16 year olds that kill people, but this kid thankfully didn't. Locking him up for 15 years will likely destroy him.

If you're OK with that, which I'm not in this particular case, the sentence should have been life, rather than 15 years. Destroying him and then letting him out is just the worst of both worlds.

 

[Formaldehyde]

Yeah, for one person it would be too many. But he was planning a new Columbine. That's a lot more than just one person.

There are probably tens of thousands of kids who fantasize about doing similar acts. They just don't tell a friend who reports them to the cops.

 

[civver_764]

Yeah High School is really f'ed up for lots of people.

 

[NickyJ]

There are probably tens of thousands of kids who fantasize about doing similar acts. They just don't tell a friend who reports them to the cops.

Do those tens of thousands of kids research how to build bombs, gather the supplies for them, and then begin turning those fantasies into reality?