# 14 year old boy being sentenced to life for 1st degree murder **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [March 11, 2001, 5:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/14-year-old-boy-being-sentenced-to-life-for-1st-degree-murder/57517 "2001-03-11T05:15:49Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Shayna](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shayna/32/17976_2.png) [@Shayna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shayna)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2001, 5:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/14-year-old-boy-being-sentenced-to-life-for-1st-degree-murder/57517/41 "2001-03-13T17:29:51Z")
More food for thought… I heard on one of the morning shows today (don’t know which, as I really wasn’t watching, just trying to set my VCR to tape something before I left), that this young man has had a lifetime of behaviour problems which resulted in him having been either suspended or expelled from school 15 times. Since his incarceration he has had at least 2 incidents of behaviour problems, as well; one where he tried to stab a cellmate with a pencil and then, when they put him solitary, he flooded out his cell. ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2001, 6:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/14-year-old-boy-being-sentenced-to-life-for-1st-degree-murder/57517/42 "2001-03-13T18:06:59Z")
How does one flood out one’s cell? I wonder if perhaps an institution wouldn’t be better-it sounds as if he has some severe mental problems. ---
**Author:** ![wring](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/838e76/32.png) [@wring](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wring)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2001, 6:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/14-year-old-boy-being-sentenced-to-life-for-1st-degree-murder/57517/43 "2001-03-13T18:35:42Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Guinastasia \* > \*\*How does one flood out one’s cell? > \*\* Solitary confinement cells have their own individual toilets. They’ve moved [him to a juvinile setting](http://abcnews.go.com/sections/us/DailyNews/tate010313.html) now. ---
**Author:** ![Ooner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/c67d28/32.png) [@Ooner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ooner)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2001, 8:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/14-year-old-boy-being-sentenced-to-life-for-1st-degree-murder/57517/44 "2001-03-13T20:17:01Z")
> [@](#): > > \*\* > Would 3 years in a juvenile detention center truly have rehabilitated a person capable of cold blooded murder at the age of 12? > \*\* This has gone from a little extreme to completely ridiculous. I’m not saying the kid hasn’t done anything wrong, but it was an accident. Cold blooded murder is what hit men do. Cold blooded murder is when you plan to kill someone, then do it. Obviously the kid knew that what he was doing was dangerous, but he is by no means a cold-blooded killer. As far as 3 years of juvenile prison, I think depending on the situation, that could be way too short a sentence. If he is really a dangerous criminal, maybe real prison is the place for him for a while. However, if it was an accident, and he knows how wrong it was, 3 years would be more than enough for him. (That’s not to say he **should** get only 3 years in juvenile prison for it. That would set a bad example for other youngsters.) ---
**Author:** ![Shayna](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shayna/32/17976_2.png) [@Shayna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shayna)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2001, 9:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/14-year-old-boy-being-sentenced-to-life-for-1st-degree-murder/57517/45 "2001-03-13T21:42:06Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Ooner \* > \*\*I’m not saying the kid hasn’t done anything wrong, but it was an accident. \*\* Actually, according to a jury of 12 people who heard all the evidence (which neither you nor I were privy to), it was **not** an accident. I trust that those 12 people did not take the decision to find a 14 year old boy guilty of **murder** lightly. The evidence _had_ to have shown beyond any reasonable doubt that a murder was committed, and that it was not an accidental death. I don’t know the boy, so I won’t go so far as to say it was cold-blooded, but according to those who have knowledge of the specifics of what happened to that little girl, he _did_ murder her. ---
**Author:** ![Ned](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/848f3c/32.png) [@Ned](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ned)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2001, 12:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/14-year-old-boy-being-sentenced-to-life-for-1st-degree-murder/57517/46 "2001-03-14T00:53:28Z")
A couple of points. The standard for murder in florida is something short of intention to kill. Under Florida law, jurors did not have to conclude that he meant to kill Tiffany, only that his actions were intentional and abusive. Tate had a mental age of about 8 at 170 pounds. The kid looks 16, I am sure this was a pretty big factor for the jury. The jury was not allowed to hear from experts on proffesional wrestling as to the dangers even adults face without adequate training and precaution. Nor we they allowed to hear testimony about children imitating wrestling moves. People, like Shayna, who want to call this a case of a 14 year old being sentenced are being intentionally dishonest. He was 12 at the time of the offence. ---
**Author:** ![Ned](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/848f3c/32.png) [@Ned](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ned)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2001, 12:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/14-year-old-boy-being-sentenced-to-life-for-1st-degree-murder/57517/47 "2001-03-14T00:57:56Z")
A couple of points. The standard for murder in florida is something short of intention to kill. Under Florida law, jurors did not have to conclude that he meant to kill Tiffany, only that his actions were intentional and abusive. Tate had a mental age of about 8 at 170 pounds. The kid looks 16, I am sure this was a pretty big factor for the jury. The jury was not allowed to hear from experts on proffesional wrestling as to the dangers even adults face without adequate training and precaution. Nor we they allowed to hear testimony about children imitating wrestling moves. To even mention that he is 14 now indicates weaseling at best and dishonesty at worst. The relevant age here is 12. Soulmurk, what in gods name gives you the idea that he had anything to do with the plea bargain. We certainly aren’t stupid enough to give them conduct of their own trial even if we do pretend they are an adult for the pourposes of sentencing. Interesting constitutional arguments in there by the way. ---
**Author:** ![Ned](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/848f3c/32.png) [@Ned](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ned)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2001, 1:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/14-year-old-boy-being-sentenced-to-life-for-1st-degree-murder/57517/48 "2001-03-14T01:00:33Z")
Damnit, that wasn’t supposed to get in there. Sorry for the duplicate and unwarranted flame even if it is the pit. ---
**Author:** ![Shayna](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shayna/32/17976_2.png) [@Shayna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shayna)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2001, 1:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/14-year-old-boy-being-sentenced-to-life-for-1st-degree-murder/57517/49 "2001-03-14T01:21:25Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Ned \* > \*\*People, like Shayna, who want to call this a case of a 14 year old being sentenced are being intentionally dishonest. He was 12 at the time of the offence. > > and > > To even mention that he is 14 now indicates weaseling at best and dishonesty at worst. The relevant age here is 12. \*\* Excuse me, but how DARE you characterize me as being either a weasel OR dishonest. How fucking DARE you. Even though the boy was 12 at the time of the crime, that does not make my statement that the jury didn’t take lightly, convicting _what is now_ a 14 year old boy of murder, dishonest in any way shape or form. I made absolutely no comments whatsoever in either of my replies in this thread as to my personal opinion on that verdict, my personal opinion on the crime itself or on any aspect of it that would cause a reader to infer that I was trying to lie about his age at the time the crime was committed. And I did that on fucking purpose to avoid the kind of utter vile crap you just spewed about my character. The jury just convicted **a 14 year old boy**. He **is** 14. I stand by my statement that they did not take finding a child of his age guilty of **murder** lightly. And unless _your_ sorry ass was sitting on that jury, you can kiss _mine_! Now go fuck off and die. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/14-year-old-boy-being-sentenced-to-life-for-1st-degree-murder/57517.md?page=2)