On March 19, a 16-year-old Florida teen was accused of murder after he allegedly beat his 15-year-old friend with a baseball bat. Although the accused teen initially claimed that the 15-year-old attacked him first, it was reported that he eventually admitted that the deceased teen never hit him.
Authorities received the 911 call at about 3 p.m. When they arrived at the scene, they found the 15-year-old unresponsive with blunt force trauma wounds to his arms, head and chest. During the investigation, authorities said a witness indicated that the accused teen had wondered what it was like to kill someone. The accused teen eventually told authorities that he attacked the other teen after becoming jealous over a girl. He then allegedly admitted to hitting the other teen with the bat until he became unresponsive.
Although authorities were pushing to have the accused teen charged as an adult due to a previous criminal record, it appeared he had not been. As of March 21, he had not entered a plea, and it was not known when he was scheduled to appear in court.
When an underage child is charged with a crime, the consequences could have a major impact on the child’s future. Even juvenile charges can prevent a child from furthering his or her education or starting a career. Depending on the severity of the charges, a juvenile criminal law attorney may seek rehabilitation options for the child. This might include negotiating an alternate sentence, such as juvenile probation or a rehabilitation program. On the other hand, if authorities failed to follow proper procedures or there is doubt about the child’s involvement in the crime, the attorney may seek to dismiss or reduce the charges.
Source: People, “Fla. Boy, 16, Allegedly Murdered Friend With a Baseball Bat Over ‘Jealousy And Anger’ About a Girl“, 03/21/2018
