Arizona 9-year-old pleads guilty in shooting death of his father Vincent Romero, roomate

[Hepburn]

Source: THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

ST. JOHNS, Ariz. - Now that the charges against a 9-year-old boy accused in a double homicide have been resolved, attorneys in the case say they are hopeful he will receive the treatment he needs to move past the incident and have a chance at a normal life.

Prosecutors and defense attorneys say treatment options were a vital part of a plea agreement the boy signed Thursday. He had faced two counts of premeditated murder in the deaths of his father and his father's roommate. He pleaded guilty to negligent homicide in the death of 39-year-old Timothy Romans, and the murder charge stemming from the death of his father, 29-year-old Vincent Romero, was dropped.

"I think this experience probably can change an individual, and I'm hoping this doesn't tremendously change him," said defense attorney Benjamin Brewer. "To be as normal a kid as possible, it would be something we'd like to strive for."

Apache County Attorney Michael Whiting said prosecutors had two options in the case: proceed and risk that the boy be found incompetent and receive no treatment or have him enter a plea agreement.



Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/news/us_world/2009/02/20/2009-02-20_arizona_9yearold_pleads_guilty_in_shooti.html

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Hello??????

How in the hell does a fucking 9-year-old form the requisite intent to be pled guilty to murder???????????????????????

Anyone in that AZ case ever hear of Piaget and the levels of cognitive development????????????

They pled him guilty to get him treatment ~~ WTF????? Are they saying in the AZ Juv Ct codes there is NO way to get him treatment other than to plead him guilty???? If that is true, there is some major league fuck up in AZ Juv law.

:wow:

JMHO

[Veritas_et_Aequitas]

1. Don't worry. I'm sure he'll wind up in one of those nice tent cities I hear so much about. nt

[hlthe2b]

2. This story is so contradicted by that on the MSNBC website

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/29284614/

No one inside or outside of the Apache County courthouse on Thursday ever addressed what led to the Nov. 5 shootings of the boy's father and the father's roommate at their home in this rural community of about 4,000.

The boy acknowledged he did something risky and dangerous that ended the life of the roommate, 39-year-old Timothy Romans, but he was not asked to explain any motive for the killing, nor have police discussed one. During the hearing where the boy entered the plea, little was said regarding the death of the boy's father, 29-year-old Vincent Romero.

It appears they did not charge him for his father's death

The boy hasn't been sentenced, but Wood said he would fight to keep the boy out of a county juvenile detention facility, although that is an option under the plea deal. Apache County Attorney Michael Whiting wants the boy to undergo extensive mental evaluations and treatment.

The boy's mother cried throughout Thursday's hearing, and through her lawyer, objected to the plea deal. But Superior Court Judge Michael Roca accepted it. It would be nice if they said why the mother objected :eyes:

Whiting said he spoke with the Romero family before giving final approval to the plea deal, and they agreed it was in the child's best interest for him not to be forced to admit to killing his father.

"If the kid is ever going to have a chance at a normal life, how is he going to deal with `I pleaded guilty to killing my dad,'" Whiting said.

More at the link

[Jefferson23]

3. In the state of Arizona, a child as young as 8 years old is considered

competent to make a plea agreement without a guardians consent according to his attorneys. Bizarre to say the least, my heart goes out to this child.

[Vinca]

4. Is this the little kid who decided that when he was spanked for the 1,000th time

he'd had enough? If so, the kid was abused and shouldn't have this on his record. (I know juvenile records are sealed, but just the same . . . not fair.) I hope this boy gets the help and love he desperately needs.

[wickerwoman]

8. Yes. It's the same kid.

There's some quotes from the older man's family on the second page of the article complaining about how they didn't get satisfaction. Come on... having your relative killed by a nine year old is like having him killed by lightning. I'm sorry for their loss, but what kind of satisfaction are you going to get out of seeing a grade-school aged kid tried as an adult?

[damntexdem]

5. Since when have legal definitions of mental competency reflected realities of mental illness?

And there has long been a major fuck up in access to mental health treatment, whether or not one is charged, or convicted, in the criminal-justice system.

That this involves a nine-year-old's "pleading guilty" is just the unusual (and disgusting) circumstance that highlights the far-larger problems.

[Winterblues]

6. Good thing there was a gun laying around for protection..

I wonder how many preventable gun deaths like this happen in the USA every year?

[slackmaster]

7. Lying around

Responsible gun owners secure their firearms and don't leave them lying around.