14-Year-Old Facing Attempted Murder Charges in Tallahassee
Two minors have been arrested in connection with a shooting that left another person seriously injured. Officers responded to a call at the Grove Tallahassee Mobile Home Park at 10 pm on April 13. Witnesses told police that the victim was inside of a car when the 14-year-old defendant approached him with another youth aged 16. The defendant was carrying an AR-style pistol according to police. The defendant fired the weapon several times into the car hitting the victim and leaving him with substantial injuries. The teens were taken into custody and charged with first-degree attempted murder. The defendants will be charged as adults in this case.
Florida has a track record of charging more teens with adult charges than any other state in the country. In most states, a family court must issue a ruling to charge a teen as an adult. Florida allows prosecutors to charge the teens directly without going through family court first.
First-degree attempted murder
The crime of first-degree attempted murder is charged in the same way as first-degree murder. The state of Florida will not give you a pass just because you failed to kill the victim. In many cases, Florida sentences those who commit the crime of attempted murder to life behind bars. However, juveniles cannot face life sentences under federal rules of procedure.
The 16-year-old accomplice can also be charged with attempted murder in this case. Florida has an intentionally open definition of what constitutes attempted murder. Prosecutors often want to bring charges against anyone who was involved in the crime. Aiding and abetting attempted murder can, in some cases, be charged as attempted murder as well. This is true even if the individual did not fire the weapon.
A defendant can be charged with attempted first-degree murder in cases where a defendant transported the defendant to the scene of the crime, they participated in or somehow aided the assault where the other person attempted to murder a victim, or if they knowingly contributed to an act of attempted murder.
This means that both individuals may be charged with attempted murder in this case. In this case, it looks apparent that the defendant was attempting to kill the victim. He fired his weapon several times into a car causing serious injury. Penalties for first-degree attempted murder include life in prison without the possibility of parole.
That won’t happen in this case, however, because the defendants are minors and federal law prohibits life sentences for minors even in cases of murder or attempted murder. The defendants will likely be convicted in this case as there is ample witness testimony on the side of the prosecution.
Talk to a Tallahassee Criminal Defense Attorney Today
Tallahassee criminal defense lawyer Luke Newman, P.A. represents the interests of those who have been charged with serious crimes. Call our office today to schedule an appointment and we can begin discussing your defense strategy right away.
