The Erin Caffey Story

INTRODUCTION Now and again I come across an American TV program about a minor who had been sentenced to life without the possibility of parole and think to myself, "How can one justify a sentence like that when with a bit of coaching these young folk can become law abiding citizens?"   Why juveniles are getting a raw deal with the American justice system America sentences more juveniles to life without parole than any other country on earth. Is this right? Experts all agree that the human brain does not fully mature until the age of 25 so what happens before then? Juveniles, I think we can all agree, are prone to acts of stupidity, their judgement is not as rational as that of adults. They are prone to risky behaviour which gets them into trouble. There is no doubt whatsoever that juveniles have had limited life experience which makes them vulnerable to predators who are ready to take advantage of them.  This is not necessarily sexual, but rather other criminal behaviour ...

  THIS ARTICLE Jennifer Mee gained notoriety as a teenager as the "Hiccup Girl," as she was suffering from an incurable problem of hiccups but that problem cured itself; however she was involved in a fatal mugging which she set up. She was convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment without the possibility of parole but there are several people who wonder how that could be justified when all of the factors are considered. Is Clemency an option for Jennifer? In 2013 Florida woman  Jennifer Mee was convicted of first degree murder and sentenced to life imprisonment without the possibility of parole.  BACKGROUND TO THE CASE As a nineteen year old Jennifer contacted a young man through Facebook and he agreed to go on a date with her. Jennifer's motive was robbery and she arranged to meet the victim at an agreed location but at this place Jennifer's two male friends robbed him and it was during this process that Jennifer's so-called date was fatally shot. Under Florid...

  First, second, and third degree murders What are the differences? Just what are the differences between the three categories of murder known as first, second, and third degree? I decided to do some research because there are cases in America where someone did not even kill anyone but was guilty of first degree murder by association; their companion killed someone but due to the circumstances of the incident which someone lost their life, they have been charged with the same crime as the one who did the actual killing. First degree murder is premeditated murder and a killing which occurred during the process of a felony such as a robbery.  The Jennifer Mee case is a perfect example of a premeditated felony which resulted in death. In her case, the murder was a result of the felony. She arranged a date with a young man with the intention of robbing him. Her two male friends carried out the mugging with fatal consequences.  None of the trio had ever intended to kill the vi...

  The majority of serious crimes in the United States involve a plea bargain where the accused is offered a more lenient sentence in return for pleading guilty. Is this right? I think that all depends on whether someone is guilty or innocent. In some cases it all depends on one's interpretation of the law. U.S. plea bargain leads to life sentence Is plea bargaining just an incentive for the accused to plead guilty? I cannot answer that question and am certainly not in a position to; I can only speculate but judging by one case of a young lady who rejected a plea bargain and unsuccessfully defended her case, it appears that those who lose their cases after rejecting a plea bargain that was offered seem to be penalised. The young lady in question is Jennifer Mee from Florida. As a nineteen year old she arranged a date with a young man with the intention of robbing him; her two male friends carried out the robbery which ended fatally.  Under Florida law, all participants in a fat...

  America has the highest number of juveniles in prison or those inside who were sentenced as juveniles and face life behind bars. Is this morally right? I don't think so. The saddest part is there has been little will from successive governments to change this. I have put forth my thoughts on the subject and am interested in feedback from American readers. Should juveniles be sentenced to life? Written by R.A. Stewart America as I understand it is the only country in the world that sentences juveniles; that is those under the age of eighteen to life imprisonment without parole. This was challenged in court about ten years ago with the Supreme court stating it is unconstitutional to sentence minors to life without the possibility of parole.  Teenagers are basically the same worldwide. They have the same kind of social, physical, and emotional issues to deal with, but their environment can make or break them. It is this environment which can be the determining factor in where t...

The case of the "Hiccup Girl" sentenced to life. written by Bob Stewart Jennifer Mee gained fame as a teenager as the girl with incurable hiccups; she appeared on National TV, but that all is in the past as her life turned to custard from an act of foolishness. In 2010, Jennifer Mee arranged to meet a young man named Shannon Griffin whom she contacted through social media; He agreed to meet her and the 22-year-old was under the impression that he was going on a date with Jennifer and to purchase marijuana but her motive was robbery and Jennifer used her two male friends to help her but in the process of being robbed, Shannon was shot four times. Under Florida law, all those who participate in a robbery where someone dies is equally guilty of murder as the person who actually did the killing.  Jennifer from all accounts was not even present at the scene or ever planned to kill him. It later came out in court that in communication with her mum, Jennifer said, "I di...

Cyntoia Brown deserves clemency Written by Robert A. Stewart A campaign to gain Cyntoia Brown clemancy has been going on for some time and the shout of clemancy by various campaigns seems to be falling on deaf ears! There are some circumstances surrounding her situation and the events leading up to when she shot her alleged victim that need some revisiting. Here is what I do know; Cyntoia was 16 (she is now 30) when she was homeless and selling herself. She found herself in the company of a 43-year old man who I understand she was staying with. It appears that she was high on drugs when she shot this man while he was asleep. (it was alleged) As for her selling her services to men, I do not know what the law in Tennessee says but in most countries the legal age for doing that is 18 so if that is the case in the US also then shouldn't someone have had the book thrown at them? The questions that need to be answered are; 1. Who supplied Cyntoia with drugs and was h...