The nation's oldest juvenile lifer, Joe Ligon, left a Pa. prison after 68 years

[WhiskeyGrinder]

https://fusion.inquirer.com/news/joe-ligon-juvenile-lifer-philadelphia-incarceration-release-lifetime-parole-20210211.html

Leaving the State Correctional Institution Phoenix in Montgomery County on Thursday morning, his white hair peeking out below a prison-issue hat, Joe Ligon was accompanied by a dozen large file boxes. That’s about 10 more boxes than regulations normally permit.

“I’m a special guy,” Ligon explained.

It’s a privilege earned over 68 years, as the oldest and longest-serving juvenile lifer in the country. He’s been imprisoned since 1953, when he was just 15 years old.

(snip)

Ligon, now 83, received his life term for taking part in a spree of robbery and assaults in which two people died. Ligon admits participating in the crime with a group of drunk teens but denies killing anyone.

[Kaleva]

1. Wow! he was in prison over 5 years before I was born back when Ike was still president.

[Deuxcents]

2. My god

What is he supposed to do now? Any family left? This is just too much..what were the prison adm thinking of? Did he have any representation? At 83, what will become of him?

[Mariana]

5. The story answers many of your questions. nt.

[Hermit-The-Prog]

3. Meanwhile, insurrectionists who took part in a murderous spree, get to walk around or go to Mexico.

[Ms. Toad]

6. convicted is different from charged.

The relevant comparison period would be between when Ligon was charged and convicted. I don't doubt that he was incarcerated during that time period (rather than being out on bail). But you're comparing apples to oranges.

[Hermit-The-Prog]

7. Teenagers to adults; black to white.

Your argument is just a little bit off.

Assume convictions of --all-- those who have so far been arrested. Further assume that each will be indicted, tried, and convicted on all charges that can be brought against each.

Would you expect any to receive a sentence as long as reported in the OP? Would you expect no parole for 68 years?

[Ms. Toad]

8. Legally - the group walking around and going to Mexico is innocent.

We let innocent people do a whole lot more than convicted people. In fact, there are relatively high hurdles to detain them between being arrested and convicted. So if you are trying to claim they benefitted from favoritism, you need to find out how Mr. Ligon was treated after he was arrested before he was convicted and compare his treatment to their treatment. I'm pretty sure he was still treated worse, as a young Black male. But you can't prove that by comparing his post-sentence conviction with their pre-conviction treatment.

As to his sentence - and what I think will happen with the capitol insurrectionists:

Mr. Ligon was involved in a murder. I can't see what his actual conviction was since the article is behind a paywall, but from the snippet it appears that he was likely convicted of felony murder. That conviction was before more recent revisions in the law that tightened up the requirements for felony murder. In that era - and (except for a brief period in the 70s) through at least the 90s - if you were present when someone died as the proximate (foreseeable) result of the commission of a violent felony (intended or not, by your hand or not) you could be put to death for it. It was routine for police to make a deal with the actual killer (or most violent) to get evidence to convict fellow participants. There are a number of cases in which the person who was actually innocent of taking a life was put to death - while the person who did the killing (or was the mastermind) got a life sentence by providing evidence to convict the less guilty.

In my opinion. he should have been given a sentence appropriate for the crimes he actively committted. But felony murder doesn't work that way. The assumption is that if you choose to engage in an inherently violent crime, that choice provides the mens rea (mental state) to support a murder conviction.

My guess is that most who were inside the Capitol (but no more) will serve under a year. Those who violently broke in (but didn't harm people) perhaps 5 years. Those directly involved in violence against people - up to 20. Those who actively participated in killing - life without parole. We'll see.

Mr. Ligon would be equivalent to the group I'm guessing will get up to 20. ETA: Absent what I am assuming was a felony murder charge, as a 15-year old he would likely not have been tried as an adult - and would have been released at age 18.)

[lpbk2713]

4. Queen Elizabeth II was inaugurated in 1953.

That's a long time ago.

[a kennedy]

9. I just stared bawling reading this.......

What resources or family are there going to be for him now........