Oh and he's such a good boy.

[SeaCat]

This is from the local newspaper this morning.

Seventh-grader arrested in WPB gang rape

Palm Beach Post Staff Writer

Tuesday, July 03, 2007

UPDATED: 7:56 p.m. July 03, 2007

A 14-year-old boy was the first suspect arrested in the home invasion gang rape and beating of a woman and her son that involved 10 assailants, police said Tuesday.

Investigators expect to make other arrests in the attack at the Dunbar Village public housing complex. They say all of the assailants appear to have been youths, likely between 14 and 18 years old.

Avion Lawson, a seventh-grader at Gold Coast, was tied to the crime when his DNA matched that found on a condom left in the victims' home.

After police asked his mother to bring him to the department for an interview, Avion said he was at a friends house the night of the rape.

Confronted with the DNA evidence, as well as a partial palm print linking him to the crime, he has since confessed, a police spokesman said.

Soft-spoken, and cooperative, he expressed no remorse, the spokesman said.

Avion Lawson is charged with armed and masked sexual battery, armed home invasion, aggravated battery and sexual performance by a child.

This evening I was listening to the local news and they had an interview with the boys mother. According to her he was a good boy who had never been in trouble. When she was confronted by the fact he already had a record she started screaming and tearing at her clothes while commenting that her son was being targeted by the local police because of his skin color.

I find it amazing that they A) Mentioned his name even though he is a juvenile, and B) commented on his extensive ciminal record.

Cat

 

[Boxlicker101]

This is from the local newspaper this morning.

Seventh-grader arrested in WPB gang rape

Palm Beach Post Staff Writer

Tuesday, July 03, 2007

UPDATED: 7:56 p.m. July 03, 2007

A 14-year-old boy was the first suspect arrested in the home invasion gang rape and beating of a woman and her son that involved 10 assailants, police said Tuesday.

Investigators expect to make other arrests in the attack at the Dunbar Village public housing complex. They say all of the assailants appear to have been youths, likely between 14 and 18 years old.

Avion Lawson, a seventh-grader at Gold Coast, was tied to the crime when his DNA matched that found on a condom left in the victims' home.

After police asked his mother to bring him to the department for an interview, Avion said he was at a friends house the night of the rape.

Confronted with the DNA evidence, as well as a partial palm print linking him to the crime, he has since confessed, a police spokesman said.

Soft-spoken, and cooperative, he expressed no remorse, the spokesman said.

Avion Lawson is charged with armed and masked sexual battery, armed home invasion, aggravated battery and sexual performance by a child.

This evening I was listening to the local news and they had an interview with the boys mother. According to her he was a good boy who had never been in trouble. When she was confronted by the fact he already had a record she started screaming and tearing at her clothes while commenting that her son was being targeted by the local police because of his skin color.

I find it amazing that they A) Mentioned his name even though he is a juvenile, and B) commented on his extensive ciminal record.

Cat

Possibly he is being charged as an adult, because of the nature of the accusation and his past record. Fourteen is awfully young to be charged as an adult, but it might be the right thing in this specific case. As for mentioning his record, that may have been just to disagree with his mother, the enabler. Probably he will cut a deal and rat out the others, especially the adults in the group.

I never heard of a crime called "sexual performance by a child".

Maybe he will grow up to be Isaiah Washington.

 

[starrkers]

I don't know what the law is like in your part of the world, but if prior record was mentioned here, before the boy was convicted, the paper would be held in contempt of court and be in deep shit.
Also naming suspects after arrest AND including details of the crime are deep shit territory.
It's all to do with the "innocent until proven guilty" thing.

 

[Boxlicker101]

I don't know what the law is like in your part of the world, but if prior record was mentioned here, before the boy was convicted, the paper would be held in contempt of court and be in deep shit.
Also naming suspects after arrest AND including details of the crime are deep shit territory.
It's all to do with the "innocent until proven guilty" thing.

In the US, once a person is actually accused, his or her name becomes public knowledge, unless the accused is a juvenile. Usually, those names are not disclosed unless the accused is to be tried as an adult. Usually, they have to be at least 16 for that to happen, though.

It's called "Freedom of the Press" and "The Right to a Fair Trial". For one thing, in makes Star Chamber proceedings a lot harder to perpetrate.

 

[rgraham666]

Fewer and fewer people care about that these days, starrkers.

 

[cloudy]

Usually, they have to be at least 16 for that to happen, though.

Not anymore. In most states, they've dropped the age to 14 for serious felonies.

 

[Boxlicker101]

Not anymore. In most states, they've dropped the age to 14 for serious felonies.

Well, this is certainly a serious felony. It would also depend on what kind of record he has. If he has a history of gangbanging and other violent crimes, it might be the right thing.

 

[WRJames]

I don't know what the law is like in your part of the world, but if prior record was mentioned here, before the boy was convicted, the paper would be held in contempt of court and be in deep shit.
Also naming suspects after arrest AND including details of the crime are deep shit territory.
It's all to do with the "innocent until proven guilty" thing.

Maybe because they had DNA evidence, a palm print and a confession the "innocent" part didn't seem too compelling. It would be better, though, to respect that convention. We have too many trials in the press in this country. It gives us relief from ecological disaster and the war in Iraq.

 

[SeaCat]

What is impressive to me is how his family, ie. his mother, is standing by and defending him.

What is scary is how so many people are coming around and defending him and his actions.

Cat

 

[Boxlicker101]

What is impressive to me is how his family, ie. his mother, is standing by and defending him.

What is scary is how so many people are coming around and defending him and his actions.

Cat

I can see defending him. I don't believe that I would agree with those persons, but at least I can understand it. But defending his actions? I would think those would be indefensible.

Don't tell me some people are actually okay with gang rape.

 

[oggbashan]

In English law, a defendant's record is not revealed in court UNLESS he/she or their advocate suggests that the defendant is of unblemished character, or produces character witnesses. If good character is claimed, the prosecution can produce the criminal and police record to refute character...

Falsely claiming "he's a good boy and never did anything wrong" would be counterproductive if this was a case in a English court.

Og

PS. As a Jury Foreman, we once spent nearly an hour debating whether the defendants were "first offenders" because we didn't have the criminal records available to us. We were in no doubt that the defendants were guilty but some of us thought the defendants had erred for the first time. After I delivered the verdicts "Guilty on all counts", the court was given each defendant's previous convictions and all the TICs (Taken into account) to be considered before sentence was passed. With four defendants, it took between half and three-quarters of an hour to read out all the previous convictions and the total number of other offences to be TIC-ed ran into hundreds.

 

[only_more_so]

In English law, a defendant's record is not revealed in court UNLESS he/she or their advocate suggests that the defendant is of unblemished character, or produces character witnesses. If good character is claimed, the prosecution can produce the criminal and police record to refute character...

Falsely claiming "he's a good boy and never did anything wrong" would be counterproductive if this was a case in a English court.

Actually, I believe the US has similar laws. That is one reason that it is very rare for a defendant to testify, because as soon as he is on the stand the prosecution can bring up the past crimes. Same thing with character witnesses, where the prosecution can't bring up character until the defense does.

 

[angelicminx]

I don't know what the law is like in your part of the world, but if prior record was mentioned here, before the boy was convicted, the paper would be held in contempt of court and be in deep shit.
Also naming suspects after arrest AND including details of the crime are deep shit territory.
It's all to do with the "innocent until proven guilty" thing.

In my experience with the legal system, "innocent until proven guilty" is a myth. You're guilty until you can afford to prove your innocence.

 

[NoJo]

As anyone who is, or has been 14 will know, there's 14 and there's 14.

 

[sutherngent985]

In my experience with the legal system, "innocent until proven guilty" is a myth. You're guilty until you can afford to prove your innocence.

Thats a point...just look at a certain ex-football player who goes by his initials. I think I remember reading once that the majority of deathrow inmates had public defenders.

 

[Boxlicker101]

Thats a point...just look at a certain ex-football player who goes by his initials. I think I remember reading once that the majority of deathrow inmates had public defenders.

The PD lawyers are usually known as "copout artists" because they try to get their clients to plead to a lesser offense. Their budget is quite limited and they have a lack of manpower, while the DA's office has almost unlimited resourcrs and hundreds of cops to do their legwork for them. If they are honest, this is a good thing but, if they are like too many, they are just interested in getting convictions, regardless of guilt or innocense.

 

[sutherngent985]

The PD lawyers are usually known as "copout artists" because they try to get their clients to plead to a lesser offense. Their budget is quite limited and they have a lack of manpower, while the DA's office has almost unlimited resourcrs and hundreds of cops to do their legwork for them. If they are honest, this is a good thing but, if they are like too many, they are just interested in getting convictions, regardless of guilt or innocense.

You got that right...how many death sentences have been overturned in the last few yrs? Or just look at the Duke prosecuter...he did just about everything but shoot the guys.

 

[rgraham666]

DAs, as I recall, are voted for in most of the States. And are political appointees in the rest.

Being 'tough on crime' is good for votes.

 

[sutherngent985]

DAs, as I recall, are voted for in most of the States. And are political appointees in the rest.

Being 'tough on crime' is good for votes.

Being tough on crime is one thing...railroading someone, esp with a death sentence is something altogether different. Not that I think any DA would EVER do that...uh uh...no siree bob...not those great lawyers.

Quite frankly, I dont think there is a DA out there who wouldnt sell his mother, wife and kids down the river to look good. And yes you are right...the DA IS elected but its the assistant DAs who do most of the trial work.