Tag: Shu Yi Zhang

If tried as adult, daughter “doomed”: (Log in info)

Kind of a fitting headline, don’t you think? Anyway, Esmie Tseng’s father has spoken out against his daughter being tried as an adult…

“If my daughter is tried and penalized with hardened criminals and recidivists, she will be doomed,” Tao Tseng said in the statement. “I have already been deprived of my wife. I am afraid I will not survive the loss of my daughter, a more devastating blow.”
Tao Tseng released the statement after a group that had organized to support his daughter asked him to comment, said Robin Scully, Tao Tseng”s attorney. The group, Concerned Citizens for Esmie, has a Web site at www.esmie.com .

“He is obviously very, very concerned about his daughter,” Scully said of Tao Tseng. Scully said he was providing Tao Tseng with legal guidance and keeping him updated on the case. “He wants the best for her and wants her to be tried in juvenile court.”

In the statement, Tao Tseng said he was deeply saddened by the tragedy, but that he continued to love and care for his daughter and will do so for the rest of his life.

“If Esmie becomes a part of the adult criminal system, it will simply be another tragedy because her wonderful gifts and talents will without question be forever lost,” he said. “She has far too much to give to the world for that to happen.

“My duty as a husband has been abruptly terminated. I am hanging on only because my duty as a father has yet to be performed.”

 

Esmie Tseng was due in court today. A ruling on whether she will be tried as an adult may not be for another two to three months.

Once again I’m late to the party, but hey I run three websites, so sue me.

Anyway, it appears that Esmie Tseng is still updating her LiveJournal through a friend of hers on the outside. Here is a copy of her friends only entry dated 9/2/05…

Hey, Kids—
Missing you all lots. If you could, Lex, pass this on to the rest of the BVN masses…

How much drama am I missing out on? If at all possible, fill me in a little…

The basics are here. Food is great—the JDC is sure to keep our appetites filled to the top.

A substitute for love? Humans are simple creatures…am I wrong?

Walls are so bare. No color here, and you know I love those colors…

The staff is pretty cool. Like mommies and daddies. I’m at a sleep over. I get my own room.

The nice thing is that there is such a variety of people. I can hear and feel the heart and soul, and I just want to grab each one for a typical philosophical discussion.

Court is September 13, 2005. There are so many weird and basic restrictions here. Toilet paper, lights, individual voice are all so oppressed…

I have never been one to complain but it’s almost as though we’re considered less human in the bland walls of the JDC. Humans need to feel to accomplish any of their potential, and if taking that away/limiting that right is called justice, then…? I don’t understand how one can ever assert that what we call punishment is as productive as society has so strongly established.

Do we become better people after a sentence? How many of us truly learn from our mistakes? Can we really justify assigning the same punishment to two different offenders, so easily and obviously different in history, mindset, loves, habits, intelligence, physique, hindsight, reasoning, Etc.?

I just don’t understand how society has so easily dumped on its own. All of which are so unique and deserving of any opportunity in such a vast world into such a blue and basic bucket? It seems redemption is an aspect impossible to achieve, no matter which end of the spectrum of extremity that the crime is on. We all have such varying degrees of motive and passion and such, but it just seems that diversity has been ignored.

I hope I’m blind and only have seen some of this world’s existence. I hope.

<3 Esmie

This does not sound like someone who either stabbed their mom to death or someone who is incarcerated. Not that I’m a professional or anything, but this seems very sociopathic to me.

Nod to The Cellar for the tip.

Teen Faces Charge in Mom’s Stabbing: (last story)

Just some other news about Esmie Tseng. Probably nothing new to those that are closer to the case but new to me…

Investigators said the teen’s 55-year-old mother, Shu Yi Zhang, was fatally stabbed after a lengthy argument between the mother and daughter.

Zhang called her husband after the attack and asked him to come home, but she was dead by the time emergency workers arrived, officials said.

And…

Prosecutors said Tseng’s alleged violent behavior is out of character for her, but classmates said Tseng, a high school junior, had been using drugs and was sent her home early for some strange behavior.

I did know that she was allegedly sent home, but this is the first I’ve heard about any alleged drug use.

I also found another support forum for Esmie Tseng at Kids in Court.

Now, while I’m personally reserving judgment on the situation because not enough information has been released, the people at KIC annoy me to no end because they believe that no minor should be tried as an adult.

I’m sorry, but if you can’t do adult time you shouldn’t do adult crime. 16 years old is old enough to know that killing people is wrong and against the law.

Web site urges that teenager be tried as juvenile in slaying: (log in info)

According to the article, friends and supporters of Esmie Tseng, the Kansas teen accused of stabbing her mother to death, have set up a website in support of her at Esmie.com. According to the site, their goal is to keep the case in the juvenile courts while prosecutors want to try her as an adult. Or as they put it in their words…

If Esmie is convicted in the juvenile court system she can get the care and help she needs and 7 years from now could move on with a normal life. If her case is moved to the adult system, the likely penalty for this 16-year-old child will be life in prison. Read Esmie’s bio, and what those who know Esmie have to say, and you will understand that sending this kid to jail for life would constitute not one but two terrible tragedies resulting from that August 19th afternoon.

Personally, I think they’re jumping the gun here a little bit.

By their own admission, details about what happened that day are almost nonexistent. Saying that she needs help and care and letting her move on with her life is a bit premature.

If it turns out that this was nothing more than a cold-blooded killing, then she should be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.

Friends pack courtroom for teenager accused of killing mother: (log in info)

Esmie Tseng, the 16-year-old girl who is accused of stabbing her mother to death, appeared in court today. I’m amazed and confused at the amount of support she is receiving. Is there something more to this story that the media isn’t reporting? I’d like to hear from someone who is closer to this than I am. Your anonymity is guaranteed.

Anyway, Ms. Tseng stated that she was not getting along with her court-appointed attorney, Robb Edmonds, and may want a new lawyer. Her father disagreed…

Her father, Tao Tseng, who sat directly behind her during the hearing, told the judge that he communicated very well with Edmonds.

I trust him, Tao Tseng said.

He said he also was concerned about advice his daughter may be getting from others. He did not elaborate and did not speak to reporters when he left the courthouse.

The judge advised her to rethink her position on her lawyer because she doesn’t know anyone better she could assign.

Getting back to what her father said, I wonder what advice his daughter could be getting and from whom. I have an idea, but it’s pure speculation on my part.

Teenagers think they know everything. I should know. I was like that when I was a teen too. She could be getting advice from friends that fancy themselves better lawyers than those who actually went to law school.

I’ve seen this happen in court before, where teenagers thought they knew more about the law than the judge. That didn’t help them any.

The father is an enigma to me. I’m getting two impressions from him. Either he’s got a really good head on his shoulders and wants to do what’s right for his daughter, or that he could be a controlling type.

Esmie’s attorney gave notice that he may be filing a mental health defense, which is almost becoming standard in teen trials.

The next court appearance for Esmie is scheduled for Oct 12th.

Murder charge doesn’t fit the friend they know: (Log in info)

This is an article about site “favorite” Esmie Tseng. I say “favorite” because a lot of people come to this site looking for information about her.

For those of you who are late to the party, Esmie Tseng is a 16-year-old girl accused of stabbing her mother to death. At the time of her arrest there was no obvious motive and there still isn’t, but the article tries to portray the fact that Esmie’s mother was very hard on her, pressuring her to get perfect grades and being very strict on her socializing.

Overbearing parents can be the biggest of asshats, but that’s still no reason to stab them.