Fate of 12-year-old killer?

[moshquerade]

What do you think should be this kid's fate.

May 6, 2010


Fate of 12-year-old killer?

A jury in Detroit this week convicted a 13-year-old boy of a murder that he committed when he was 12. Demarco Harris was found guilty of felony murder, armed robbery, and felony firearm and curfew violation. An earlier trial in January ended in a hung jury.

Harris shot to death Trisha Babcock, 24, last August 1 as she sat in a parked car. The defendant, who was 12 at the time, was attempting to rob Babcock when he shot her in the chest.

Steve Babcock holds a senior portrait of his daughter,
Trisha Babcock, who was 24 when she was killed in Detroit on Aug. 1.


"We believe that based upon the facts and evidence in this case that the jury reached the correct result," said Wayne County Prosecutor Kym L. Worthy in a statement.

Harris, who is being held in a juvenile detention center, will be sentenced on June 1, the prosecutor's office said.

The judge has three options at the time of sentencing, Maria Miller, spokeswoman for the prosecutor's office, told CNN. She said Harris can be sentenced as a juvenile, sentenced to prison as an adult, or a combination of the two.

Miller would not discuss what choice the prosecutor is recommending for Harris. "We don't speak about that until the day of sentencing," she said.

The victim's father, Steve Babcock, was in the courtroom when the verdict was read. "I broke down and cried like a baby," he said. "Everyone knew he was guilty."

"I did everything I could for my daughter and I did the same for her when she was alive. She would have been proud of me. It's not going to bring my daughter back though."

Mr. Babcock talked to CNN about the appropriate punishment for Harris. "A life for a life," he said, "but unfortunately we don't have the death penalty."

"I feel like it might be a better sentence if he spends the rest of his life in prison. He knew what he was doing. When he picked up that gun he knew what he was doing. "

"I want the whole world to know about my daughter. She graduated top 10 in her class. She had her whole life ahead of her."

http://ac360.blogs.cnn.com/2010/05/06/fate-of-12-year-old-killer/?hpt=Sbin

 

[RKS]

It's a complete tragedy someone so promising was killed by such a waste of life but even more sad is how a parent can turn a 12YO into such a degenerate at that early of an age.

 

[Crono]

12 is a tougher age to gauge, but if the jury determined that he knew what he was doing (and it seems he did from what info is given) and willfully killed that girl, I think life is a fair sentence.

 

[SaDiZTiKStyLeZ]

She was kinda cute. Give em the chair.

 

[shortylickens]

I dunno how making him a lifetime ward of the state benefits anyone. But even if Michegan had the death penalty no one would send him there. So its pointless. He will be a career bitch in prison.
Kinda sad. The girl went quickly.

 

[lxskllr]

Life... Twelve is old enough to know better. If you're gonna wear big boy pants, you'd better be prepared for big boy consequences.

 

[Azraele]

Wow, scary kid. Keep him off the streets.

 

[Vette73]

Life... Twelve is old enough to know better. If you're gonna wear big boy pants, you'd better be prepared for big boy consequences.

Yep. If he is like this now, I doubt he will turn out any better after being in jail till hes 18.

 

[Matthiasa]

"An eye for an eye makes the whole world blind."

That said... I wouldn't be so against him spending his life in prison, or a psychward(again for life) as a sain child would have known better.

 

[Jeeebus]

It's unfortunate and very sad, but this kid is not salvageable. I hate saying it, but I think everyone is better off if he's treated like a rabid dog - put him down. The alternatives - a lifetime in prison or letting him go when he's 18 - don't benefit either the kid or society.

Obviously it will never happen, but it's probably the most logical idea.

 

[AndroidVageta]

Sad they dont have the death penalty...I hate having to support people like this cause we all know tax money couldnt be used for something better...

Is anyone looking into the parents? What kind of enviroment is this kid in??? WHERE DID HE GET THE GUN?

 

[BoomerD]

Oh the poor child. He's just a product of a bad environment. He should have his hands slapped (not too hard...don't want to traumatize the poor little thing) and send him for some counseling.


Don't do the crime if you can't do the time.
Just another viscious ghetto mutt.

Lock him up for life, hook him up to "Ol' Sparky," I really don't care.

 

[Kadarin]

Execute him.

Harris shot to death Trisha Babcock, 24, last August 1 as she sat in a parked car. The defendant, who was 12 at the time, was attempting to rob Babcock when he shot her in the chest.

This kid is completely useless to society, and the world would be a better place without him.

 

[jpeyton]

The only state where they execute children and retards is Texas. So this kid won't be getting the death penalty. Most likely 25 years to life with the possibility of parole (if I were a betting man).

 

[Raduque]

She was kinda cute. Give em the chair.

This. The noose or the juice for that boy.

 

[BoomerD]

The only state where they execute children and retards is Texas. So this kid won't be getting the death penalty. Most likely 25 years to life with the possibility of parole (if I were a betting man).

QUICK! Ship him to Tex-Ass!

 

[zinfamous]

She was kinda cute. Give em the chair.

this

 

[zinfamous]

Sad they dont have the death penalty...I hate having to support people like this cause we all know tax money couldnt be used for something better...

Is anyone looking into the parents? What kind of enviroment is this kid in??? WHERE DID HE GET THE GUN?

death penalty = greater cost to taxpayer vs. life sentence.

This is neither an argument for or against it; just a simple statement of economic fact.

Basically, if your reasoning for justice and punishment is determined by your pocket, then supporting the DP is the irrational argument.

just sayin'

 

[BoomerD]

death penalty = greater cost to taxpayer vs. life sentence.

This is neither an argument for or against it; just a simple statement of economic fact.

Basically, if your reasoning for justice and punishment is determined by your pocket, then supporting the DP is the irrational argument.

just sayin'

The system is what makes the death penalty cost the taxpayer more than life in prison. That's what's fucked up about our system.

Sentencing a convicted murderer to death SHOULD be far cheaper than one year in prison. After all, a jolt of juice, a quick shot of death solution, or a couple of 30.06 rounds don't cost nearly as much as the costs of everything involved with keeping a prisoner in maximum security.

I blame the lawyers.

 

[Cuda1447]

death penalty = greater cost to taxpayer vs. life sentence.

This is neither an argument for or against it; just a simple statement of economic fact.

Basically, if your reasoning for justice and punishment is determined by your pocket, then supporting the DP is the irrational argument.

just sayin'

That is WIDELY debateable. In terms of pure cost, perhaps. There are also a lot of other factors that are a 'cost' to society. This kid, in prison can murder more people. He has the possibility of escape. He is also setup to be in prison for much longer than the average inmate.

The death penalty shouldn't be as costly as it is either. In cases like this, a bullet should suffice.

 

[zinfamous]

The system is what makes the death penalty cost the taxpayer more than life in prison. That's what's fucked up about our system.

Sentencing a convicted murderer to death SHOULD be far cheaper than one year in prison. After all, a jolt of juice, a quick shot of death solution, or a couple of 30.06 rounds don't cost nearly as much as the costs of everything involved with keeping a prisoner in maximum security.

I blame the lawyers.

yeah, the vast majority of the cost is tied to the appeals system, and state (federal, too?) regulations involved in executing a human. Considering the type of bullshit we have to go through, and increases in time and cost to euthanize a single fucking lab rat in a research setting, then the policy surrounding that of executing humans starts to make some type of sense.

Also, when you are talking about execution, you have to weigh the morality and ethics of the entire system of justice in the event that an innocent individual is ever a victim of state-sanctioned murder. (2 verified instances of this in Texas).

I've never met, or read the opinion of any supporter of the DP that doesn't also agree that the execution of a single innocent invalidates the procedure. I'm sure there are those out there who think otherwise, I just haven't met them.

It makes sense to me, and for that and other reasons, the legal rigamarole tied to the DP is absolutely essential.

I think a logical risk to assume, if one were to repeal such regulations and lengthy proceedings, is that an faster and easier ticket to the chair would be a boon for the worst types of corruption--fast tracking a potential witness to state-sanctioned death in the hopes of burying damaging evidence for someone in a power situation. Yes, it sounds bizarre, but this kind of shit is always present.

 

[KeithP]

I don't know the facts of the case, that being said...

If there was DNA evidence directly linking him to the crime, then I would say execute him (I understand that isn't going to happen in this case). Otherwise, life in prison.

I would also like to see his parent(s) or whomever was his legal guardian at the time, join him with the same punishment.

-KeithP

 

[zinfamous]

That is WIDELY debateable. In terms of pure cost, perhaps. There are also a lot of other factors that are a 'cost' to society. This kid, in prison can murder more people. He has the possibility of escape. He is also setup to be in prison for much longer than the average inmate.

Not that I don't disagree with this argument, it's just that you're stepping into the realm of funny numbers--such "costs to society" can't accurately be quantified. While I agree that it's a very real cost, and you can extrapolate some decent estimates, such numbers are heavily dependent on what-ifs, outside of the difficulties of estimating "societal costs":

--if the prisoner escapes
--if there is not true rehabilitation
--if the prisoner escapes, then if he kills again.
--if he is ever paroled
--etc...

Again, it's a real argument, it's just not accurately quantifiable. We can't easily stack this argument against numbers that are easily known--that exist in legal and bookkeeping ledgers. Numbers that are documented and widely available.

plus, one is arguing simply from economics (my personal cost), and the other from a nebulous type of cost variable--emotions (family of victims) don't translate very easily to dollar figures. You can extrapolate on from each victim (when known), consider their local economic value (value of business to community, potential employees dependent on victim, local economic output of victim's business, when appropriate.) This is all well and good, but you're still arguing unknowns and what-ifs against knowns.

 

[IndyColtsFan]

12 or 13, it doesn't matter -- he knew what he did was wrong and it claimed the life of someone. Life at a minimum, but I would not be opposed to execution either. The kid is beyond hope.

 

[montypythizzle]

Does anyone know the race of the men involved?