US Supreme Court: Three Strikes law can count juvenile convictions

[alp227]

(The case is Nguyen vs. California, 09-604.)

The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday upheld California judges' authority to count adult felons' convictions in juvenile court in determining whether to sentence them to life in prison under the state's "three strikes" law.

The court denied a San Jose man's appeal of his 2005 sentence for possessing a gun as a convicted felon. Vince Nguyen's sentence was doubled, to 32 months, based on his assault conviction in a 1999 juvenile court proceeding, when he was 16. Under the three strikes law, he could have been sentenced to 25 years to life in prison if his record had included a second such conviction as a juvenile.

The 1994 three strikes law, the nation's toughest sentencing measure for repeat offenders, requires a sentence of 25 to life for anyone convicted of a felony at age 18 or older who has committed at least two serious or violent felonies in the past. With one such previous conviction, the normal sentence for the new crime is doubled.

Unlike most states with repeat-felon laws, California classifies convictions for serious or violent crimes in juvenile court, at age 16 or 17, as strikes.

Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/04/20/BAN41D12E4.DTL

[sui generis]

1. that's fucktarded.

But of course, in any state where you can charge a minor as an adult at practically any age, depending on the whim of the DA, it makes perfect sense.

I would roll my eyes, but they're kinda tired . . . . I'll twitch a little instead.

[nosmokes]

2. Why the hell have a juvenile justice system? We know brains don't fully

develop until a person is in their 20s, but by all means let us hold the misdeeds of a child against someone for their entire lives, ruining any chance for a productive and happy life.I say we start stringing the little ankle biters up once they make it into 4th grade. Draft the little fuckers into the military and put 'em to work in the fields and factories too.Then those little miscreants won't have any time for crime!

[FiveGoodMen]

3. Because it's not the land of the free until everyone's in prison forever!

Supreme enemies of America.

[freespeechtv]

4. Juvenile Justice @ USSF

Here's an interesting video segment discussing Juvenile Movement Assembly with LeAnne Roselle from Juvenile Movement and Stephanie from Detroit Asian Youth Project.

http://www.livestream.com/freespeechtv/video?clipId=flv_65105750-bb8e-469e-a464-f8d7d278929d