Should this bully be charged as an adult?
08 Feb 2008, 10:51 AM
A lot of people think that I think that bullying is ok because I don't have any sympathy for school shooters who have claimed to have been bullied. Nothing could be further from the truth. As a former bullying victim myself I have the utmost sympathy for those who have suffered through it. I just don't think it's an excuse to commit mass murder and honestly unless the parents of bullies and schools start actually giving a damn I don't see a real solution to it either.
Also it's no secret that I think teens who commit such heinous crimes as murder should absolutely be tried as adults no question.
Now a devastating tragedy causes an interesting conundrum.
16-year-old Dakota DeRemus was bullied to death. Not suicide, he was beaten by 16-year-old Dustin Howard who Dakota's family said had been bullying him for years. After an autopsy was performed it was determined that Dakota had a heart problem and the fight led to his death. Howard has been charged with involuntary manslaughter and county prosecutors want to try him as an adult. Personally I think he should be charged with murder and should absolutely be tried as an adult but sometimes my personal feelings and the letter of the law conflict. That's life.
Then there are the groups who claim that no child ever should be charged as adults. Like I've said before I call them Helen Lovejoy's or the Kids' Criminal Crowd. They say that no child should ever be charged as an adult but they pick and choose their causes as I've demonstrated before. I think this one would be a real tough call for them. Howard is 16 but the KCC usually sides on those who have claimed to have been bullied. What does their collective bleeding heart tell them to do with this one? Or will it be like other cases I've pointed out and will just be completely ignored. I guess only time will tell.
My heartfelt prayers condolences go out to the friends and family of Dakota DeRemus.
Special thanks to Morbid.
Comments
Display comments as
(Linear | Threaded)
Endersdragon
For me... I would highly doubt the bully wasn't also bullied himself (child abuse or something like that). Not to mention I doubt the intent was to kill which you would have to prove for a murder charge. By all means lock him up but... I want more details before I saw throw away the key. The key is to not let it get to this stage, perhaps people will never listen. Personally I think its time we start sending the bullies to juve the first time they beat up a weaker classmate and get caught.
Mrs. Clumsy
Ok your a dumbass. I went to school with Dakota he was picked on and bullied everday but he was still the sweetest person you could ever meet he had the best life out of school he had loving friends and family who have nothing left of him except for memories we don't get to see him anymore and Dustin was a sick human being himself and has every right to be locked up in jail for life everyone new about his heart condition and Dustin beat Dakota until he was dead and the 4 people who watched and video taped it did not even have the balls to call the cops. Dustin even continued to beat him even after Dakota screamed and screamed asking and begging for him to stop! And I pray to god that Dustin and the people who witnessed it all get locked up because if someone would have actually called 911 Koty would still be here !!
ZappaCrappa
And what will they learn in Juve?!?!?!?!?!?!!
sorry...just using your own wailing lament there...
sorry...just using your own wailing lament there...
Endersdragon
I don't mean to put them in juve forever for a simple assult and many states I believe do have it where you spend the weekend at juve and the week at school and home only. I believe they call it weekend sentencing, its amazing what the juvenile system can do. If you have to go to juve that many straight weekends... yeah I would hesitate to bully anyone again, course it will only work after the fact as there is no prior deterence where kids are involved.
kansas_mom
Prison would be daily reminder that he beat someone to death. Not just that
he had his buddies videotape it on the cell phone. There has to be a
consequence for his actions, that's why they are charging him with involuntary
manslaughter and I do feel he should be tried as an adult. I had a daughter
that was bullied and have no sympathy towards him.
he had his buddies videotape it on the cell phone. There has to be a
consequence for his actions, that's why they are charging him with involuntary
manslaughter and I do feel he should be tried as an adult. I had a daughter
that was bullied and have no sympathy towards him.
Endersdragon
I am sorry about your daughter but as one who was bullied about as bad as you could imagine, I still don't feel that this boy should be locked up for the rest of his life. I don't think he needs a daily reminder that he beat someone to death, I think he will remember that for the rest of his life.
kansas_mom
I didn't say he should spend the rest of his life in prison, I think even with the max sentence as an adult he'd be out and "living" by the time he was in his late 20s. That's more than Dakota will ever do..... A lot of folks are saying what a "good boy" Dustin is yada, yada, yada...it still doesn't take away the fact that he left someone to die when he could have at least called 911. It just baffles me that they would probably feel bad enough if a dog got hit by a car, but not for someone having a heart attack. I hope his parents are proud that he has such a disrespect for life.
Endersdragon
Trench said he should spend his life in jail (first degree murder charges have a way of doing that to people). The problem is, if he gets charged as an adult and gets out with an adult record what then. He will have an inadequate education, more abuse in jail then most people receive in there lives, and more training (perhaps the first) on how to be a criminal. I really don't like where thats going. He might deserve this, but I want Dustin's whole story first, while Trench will say this is finding excuses, I think if he was abused himself it changes things, don't you?
kansas_mom
I guess I can't be unbiased and sympathetic to Dustin. My daughter goes to
school with both Dakota and Dustin and sees on a daily basis what Dustin does
to other people. His girlfriend is no better, even to the point of harrassing
others a couple of weeks ago. Since I have seen this week on a daily basis
the heartbreak this tragedy caused for my daughter, I have a hard time even
accepting he gets involuntary manslaughter. My personal feelings are to make an example of him and his buddies, but I know the law can only do so much. I
hope he at least gets the maximum sentence possible for what he is charged
with. Unfortunately in certain circumstances that hit close to home, I have no
tolerance and truly believe in "an eye for an eye". Not everyone has had a
great and easy life, but that's no excuse to be so inhumane as to leave another
person dying, much less alone. Dakota and my daughter were good friends and
he befriended her during a time when they were both being bullied. Now,
because some idiots wanted to post a fight on "you tube" (allegedly) my child
and others have lost a great friend and confidant. Again, I personally have a
hard time caring what happens to Dustin because even without an education, he
can work at McDonalds, get married and have children. Again, all things that
Dakota was never able to do. I guess until people have personally been
touched or affected by a situation such as Dakota's death by bullying, you
wouldn't understand.
school with both Dakota and Dustin and sees on a daily basis what Dustin does
to other people. His girlfriend is no better, even to the point of harrassing
others a couple of weeks ago. Since I have seen this week on a daily basis
the heartbreak this tragedy caused for my daughter, I have a hard time even
accepting he gets involuntary manslaughter. My personal feelings are to make an example of him and his buddies, but I know the law can only do so much. I
hope he at least gets the maximum sentence possible for what he is charged
with. Unfortunately in certain circumstances that hit close to home, I have no
tolerance and truly believe in "an eye for an eye". Not everyone has had a
great and easy life, but that's no excuse to be so inhumane as to leave another
person dying, much less alone. Dakota and my daughter were good friends and
he befriended her during a time when they were both being bullied. Now,
because some idiots wanted to post a fight on "you tube" (allegedly) my child
and others have lost a great friend and confidant. Again, I personally have a
hard time caring what happens to Dustin because even without an education, he
can work at McDonalds, get married and have children. Again, all things that
Dakota was never able to do. I guess until people have personally been
touched or affected by a situation such as Dakota's death by bullying, you
wouldn't understand.
Endersdragon
While you are right that I have never seen someone get beaten to death and been that close to it I have spoken enough times to Brenda High that I can get what can happen (no doubt her son was probably more severely beaten the Dakota, just didn't have the heart condition, doctors say if he was thrown one more time he could have broken his neck, as it is he only had one more year...).
Beyond that like I said my bullying was about as bad as could be imagined. Broke several bones (nose, rib once, collarbone once, more then enough black eyes and bruises, hell I even had an apple thrown right at my eye once (luckily it caught me in the ear, you would be amazed at how much speed you can get on a fucking apple) you get the picture, and that doesn't even take into account names). The problem is that the school does nothing until there is a death. You said this wasn't the first time Dustin was a bully, why didn't the school step in then. There were more then enough chances to help both Dustin and Dakota before this, where was the school then.
Beyond that like I said my bullying was about as bad as could be imagined. Broke several bones (nose, rib once, collarbone once, more then enough black eyes and bruises, hell I even had an apple thrown right at my eye once (luckily it caught me in the ear, you would be amazed at how much speed you can get on a fucking apple) you get the picture, and that doesn't even take into account names). The problem is that the school does nothing until there is a death. You said this wasn't the first time Dustin was a bully, why didn't the school step in then. There were more then enough chances to help both Dustin and Dakota before this, where was the school then.
I think if he was abused himself it changes things, don't you?
Nope.
Nope.
Endersdragon
True, but you have stated in the past that you are for giving a 16 year old 30 years for missing a hard to see stop sign that kills several people each year. If you could you would execute people for class E felonies... Your opinion is a bit pointless to most sane people.
If he was abused at all that means he was just acting out abuse on another target. You want to see him tried for murder when that was clearly not the case here. You want to stop this allow mental help into the school (yes at taxpayer dollars), deterence doesn't work with kids (for about the 10000th time)!
If he was abused at all that means he was just acting out abuse on another target. You want to see him tried for murder when that was clearly not the case here. You want to stop this allow mental help into the school (yes at taxpayer dollars), deterence doesn't work with kids (for about the 10000th time)!
Endersdragon
P.S. http://www.co.boulder.co.us/cs/cb/juvenile/jvsentenced.htm Just an example of what one state has.
ZappaCrappa
Weekend Juve...for beating a kid to death...LMAO. You are a piece of work Enders. Of course, on the other hand, if I was the parent of the poor child beat to death, I would be absolutely SALIVATING for a weak, pussified sentence like that knowing that I would have easy access to him 5 days a week and could pick my time and place.
Endersdragon
I meant that for normal bullying sorry for not specifying. I don't mind putting him in normal juve for this one. But it was no premediated and there is no evidence to prove otherwise (hell a boot camp employee can get off totally free for killing a kid because he had the sickle cell trait (allegedly)). And with no evidence to prove otherwise he is going to get sentenced for manslaughter so he will be out in 10 years anyway. Might as well give him a chance at life after that. I am all for locking him up, just not throwing away the key.
And Trench, I just prefer not throwing life away, other nations seem to do just fine doing that why not us?
And Trench, I just prefer not throwing life away, other nations seem to do just fine doing that why not us?
Where is the justice? There will never be justice for a child who is killed.The family will never recover and there is nothing more to say about that.
Having said that I must point out in our current justice system adults get much less time for murdering a child than a child gets for murdering anyone.
There are child abusers who only get 10 years for horrible abuse of little babies.
My grandson was murdered by his biological donor and step monster. She got 15 to life with a possibility at 8 years, he got three 25 to life terms plus 8 months. He will be eligible in 38 years and 8 months. Of course he will be 78 when that day comes. Still why give a child no possibility of parole?
Let's have some sentencing sanity.
Having said that I must point out in our current justice system adults get much less time for murdering a child than a child gets for murdering anyone.
There are child abusers who only get 10 years for horrible abuse of little babies.
My grandson was murdered by his biological donor and step monster. She got 15 to life with a possibility at 8 years, he got three 25 to life terms plus 8 months. He will be eligible in 38 years and 8 months. Of course he will be 78 when that day comes. Still why give a child no possibility of parole?
Let's have some sentencing sanity.
If it was up to me none of them would get parole.
Quicksearch
Trench Reynolds Universe
Coalition of Crime Bloggers
Crime Links
Other Links
Categories
- Columbine
- Crime and Punishment
- Chris Benoit
- Demetrius Montgomery
- Patrick Armstrong
- Richard Henderson Jr.
- Robert Bonelli
- Scott Dyleski
- William Freund
- Crime Blog Carnival
- Death Pictures
- Hate Groups
- Hazing
- Donna High
- Dr. Broom
- Flower Mound
- Mepham
- Northbrook
- Sierra Vista
- Hit Lists
- Jade's Book Review
- Missing
- Mumia Must Die
- NIU
- Operation: MyCrime
- Plots
- A. Osantowski
- Basha High
- Bible Baptist
- Center Grove
- Fry Cook Plot
- Green Bay East High
- Gulf Shores
- Kentucky Zombies
- Marshfield
- Matthew Lovett
- Muscatine
- Powell Junior High
- Quartz Hill
- Riverton
- SIU-Edwardsville
- Travis Biehn
- Winslow Township
- Red Lake
- School Violence
- Alvaro Castillo
- C.W. Jeffreys
- Campbell County High
- Charles Carl Roberts IV
- Christopher Penley
- Dawson College
- Eric Schorling
- Foss High
- Geschwister Scholl
- James Lewerke
- Jokela High School
- Jonesboro
- Kip Kinkel
- Lincoln-Sudbury
- Memorial Middle
- Pine Middle
- Platte Canyon
- Rocori
- Roseburg High
- Santee
- SuccessTech
- Taber
- Taft High School
- Weston Schools
- Straitjacket
- Tales from the Dumpster
- Tased and Confused
- The Blacklist
- The Watchlist
- There can be only one
- Think of the Children
- Threats
- Michelle Dohm
- True Crime Poetry
- TV
- Videogames
- Views From The Trench
- Virginia Tech
Buttons
Counters
Powered by
