Pensacola News Journal 5/8/03

Travesty of justice
I'm curious as to why our state's attorney believes that 12 years in prison is a proper sentence for young Daniel Carter, even while admitting that Daniel may have acted in self-defense and the state may not have a decent case against him?

The King boys murdered their father, then burned their house to cover up the crime, yet they will only spend seven years in prison. Is it because they were such "angelic looking" children, rather than "scruffy looking," as the newspaper recently described Daniel?

From all accounts of the crime, Daniel tried to avoid his uncle - he called a friend, hoping to get away from the house before his uncle came over. While being beaten by his uncle, he tried to call 911 for help, and the uncle ripped the phone out of the wall. The knife used in the "killing" was underneath Daniel's TV set, and was only available to him after his uncle violently picked up the TV and threw it to the floor.

Offering this boy a 12-year plea bargain is a travesty of justice - he should have gone free months ago. - Linda Enterkin, Pensacola

JUDGES SHOULD DECIDE CHARGES AGAINST JUVENILES"

Let me get this straight, did our legislative officials vote by majority that local prosecutors can decide how to charge the children in this state? Good grief, who fluffed whose pillow on that vote? Leaving the fate of children in the hands of power-hungry prosecutors to decide at will is a huge problem, as we have witnessed in the Daniel Carter case.

Daniel Carter defended himself in his own home from a vicious attacker and the state attorney charges the child for first-degree murder? The News Journal reported that Daniel has a defense that even prosecutor David Rimmer concedes could work in a jury trial, prompting Rimmer to offer a plea bargain of 12 years in adult prison. What? The child is 15 years old!

It's time that the judges in Florida were given back the decision of what to charge children with in criminal cases, not prosecutors. Did I miss the chapter in school that says children have no right to defend themselves from abusers?