Comments on: Hearing begins in Lawrence King case

By: Constant1983

Constant1983 — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 06:08:39 +0000

As a gay man in Ventura County, I am outraged that this hate crime happened at all…but the fact that the suspect is being charged as an adult makes me happy that there is justice, now I will be happy if he is found guilty. I will be following this trial closely.

By: Aiden Raccoon

Aiden Raccoon — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 14:59:18 +0000

Doug–apparently you don’t know what “trying someone as an adult means”. The age to be tried as an adult is 18, but that is only for certain classes of criminal offenses. It is up to the judge to determine if a crime is serious enough to be responsible for the criminals own actions. In this case we have a premeditated murder. It wasn’t an act of panic, defense or accident. King was told the day before his death that he was a dead man walking. This is the act of someone who knows what he is about to do and is fully aware of his actions. He must be tried as an adult, and given a sentence as such. Now, I do not believe, but not uncertain, that he can be given the death penalty because of his age. But if he isn’t tried as an adult then he only goes to a juvenile detention till he’s 18 or 21 depending on the juvey law in that state. Then he is released with basically a fresh start on life. I don’t think any judge no matter how radically anti-gay he/she is is going to try him as a child.

By: Chris Sullivan

Chris Sullivan — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 14:44:15 +0000

Well, I support a 15 year old who PREMEDITATES MURDER as an adult – most definitely. 15 today is not what 15 used to be and again… PREMEDITATED. Enough said.

By: Doug

Doug — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 14:18:42 +0000

If this child is prosecuted as an adult, then we put into question all the predetermined age requirements of both state and federal laws. Driving, drinking, smoking, voting, sex, etc. Who, then, is to say that a 14 year-old is too young to be a willing participant in sexual relations?

It’s becoming apparent that our society does not desire to rehabilitate our penal population. We would rather get them out of sight. What about getting this child to become a better citizen who could live with diversity? No? Because trying him as an adult, with all that comes with this punishment, will increase his recidivism. What about his parents? His adult family? His mentors? His school teachers? Is he really the only one to blame? How can one not believe that the adults around him created this problem?

This boy was a freshman in high school when he did this. I can remember thinking how stupid, naieve, and messed up the freshmen at university were, and yet because we don’t want to recify our failure to raise, teach, and mentor this boy we will try him as an adult. We will exponentially decrease his opportunity to heal and return to society, and just get him out of sight.

By: Chris from Michigan

Chris from Michigan — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 14:07:11 +0000

15 is old enough to know better. He should definitely be tried as an adult and serve an adult sentence. I clearly remember being 15, and I knew it was wrong to harm other people even if I didn’t agree with them. Being tried as a juvenile is too lenient since the crime basically disappears off his record once he turns 21. This murder needs to weigh on him for the rest of his natural life.

By: interested

interested — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 03:36:37 +0000

We have a juvenile court system for good reasons. I do not support simply arbitrarily turning children into adults whenever it suits us.

One of my moments of pride in the LGBT community was when the local LGBT groups came out and asked that he not be tried as an adult despite the glaring ugliness of his act.

By: Kristie

Kristie — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 03:25:01 +0000

There are many people in this world that grow up with abusive, hate-filled parents and they don’t all shoot people in the head. Saying Brandon McInerney had a crappy childhood & that he is a victim of the abusive home he grew up in is all ell and good, but it does not absolve him of responsibilty in Lawrence King’s death. He took someone’s life and at 15 he should have known that was wrong, regardless of his upbringing.

It’s sad that his life is essentially ruined & that he’ll most likely go to prison for a long time, but he is the one that pulled that trigger, he is the one that planned the murder, he is the one that attempted to get other students to help him beat the hell out of Lawrence King in the weeks prior to the killing. He was old enough to know the consequences of his actions and he should be held accountable for them.

By: Irene

Irene — Tue, 21 Jul 2009 22:04:12 +0000

Do the boys who were told that they would not see Larry again, bear no responsibility for this tragedy? In this day and age when kids end up doing what they say they will do, someone needs to check on the violent braggers. Check their home, check their families. Threatening to kill is not child’s play anymore.
Irene

By: Larry Adams

Larry Adams — Tue, 21 Jul 2009 19:11:55 +0000

As another Larry who grew up in the Ventura/Oxnard area, but in the 1970s, and went through the Ventura school system, it appears that the place has not changed very much with the years. I am not surprised at all. I was the brunt of anti-gay taunts and physical violence back then, and I am not surprised that the backwater that is my old home town is still having these issues and crimes. Until Ventura County grows up and comes to terms with its predjudice and hate, these things will continue to happen there. I get shivers thinking about how scared I was growing up there and the fear of being out in the 70s. I wish this young man’s life was not for nothing and this case will change things there. My condolences to his family and friends.

By: JERRY@SARASOTA

JERRY@SARASOTA — Tue, 21 Jul 2009 19:08:01 +0000

When I was 15 I surely knew that firing bullets into people will kill them…he did the crime now he needs to do his time. A strong message needs to be sent that this behavior will NOT be tolerated in our society.I have zero sympathy for him!