Seventh-grader to stand trial as adult in middle school incident:
Thomas White will be tried as an adult. The 13-year-old who fired a MAC-90 assault rifle inside of Memorial Middle School in Joplin, Missouri has been certified by Jasper County Circuit Court Judge William Crawford to stand trial as an adult.
Crawford said he based his decision on the seriousness of the offense and the apparent violent nature of the boy’s actions.
Juvenile officer April Foulkes testified Wednesday that she recommended certification of White to stand trial as an adult because if he was tried in juvenile court, he could be released within six months to a year. She said if he was prosecuted as an adult and convicted, White could be sentenced to a dual-jurisdiction program of the state and placed at a secure-care center in Montgomery City until he turns 18.
Now let’s hear from the “He’s old enough to fire a gun but not old enough to go to prison” crowd…
White’s lawyer, Chuck Lonardo, argued at the hearing that the boy is too young to be certified for trial as an adult. He said while treatment of the boy is needed, such treatment could best be accomplished by adjudicating him as a juvenile.
He also said the court could order that White be kept in custody until he turned 18.
Lonardo called clinical psychologist Kevin Whisman to testify about a psychological evaluation of the boy that he conducted after the incident. Whisman said in the weeks leading up to the shooting, White was feeling increased pressure to improve his grades, mostly coming from his father, who the boy said had threatened to beat him with a belt if his grades did not improve.
As we know now the father is no prize either but suck it up, kid. My dad threatened me with a belt all the time, and I was bullied too. But just because your dad and other kids at school are assclowns, it’s no reason to kill other people. Now you’ve basically thrown your life away, and you must be held responsible for your actions.
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