Teen charged as adult in Orlando shootings, sparks debate over juvenile justice system
Charge sparks debate over juvenile justice system
Two drive-by shootings are putting the spotlight on the juvenile justice system. Investigators say a 16-year-old is responsible for pulling the trigger. While law enforcement officers were searching for the teen, two deputies say they spotted him with a gun and wound up pulling the trigger themselves. The teenager wasn’t hit, but another person was hit in the foot.
ORLANDO, Fla. - Two drive-by shootings are putting the spotlight on the juvenile justice system. Investigators say a 16-year-old is responsible for pulling the trigger.
While law enforcement officers were searching for the teen, two deputies say they spotted him with a gun and wound up pulling the trigger themselves. The teenager wasn’t hit, but another person was hit in the foot.
State attorney wants teen behind bars
What they're saying:
The State Attorney for Orange and Osceola County, Monique Worrell, wants the teen to stay behind bars.
State Attorney Worrell was previously removed by Governor DeSantis for not going after juvenile offenders strongly enough. Now, she’s charging this teen as an adult.
The state attorney told FOX 35 her decision is not politically motivated. She says she looks at every case individually and decides based on the facts of each case.
And in this one, she says she just couldn't keep the public safe if she left this teen in the juvenile system. That's a problem she's been talking about for years now.
16-year-old George Spencer Jr. is accused of driving up, shooting into a house, and speeding off, then coming back later that same day to do the same thing.
Two deputies wound up shooting at him during his arrest – no one was hurt.
"We need some more teeth in our juvenile justice system that will mandate compliance," State Attorney Worrell told FOX 35 when we asked about her charging Spencer as an adult.
The Department of Juvenile Justice says youth arrests overall are back below the levels we saw ahead of the pandemic.
But felony arrests are neck-and-neck, and the number of murders and attempted murders these days are way up.
And that’s the type of crime the State Attorney says the juvenile justice system simply isn’t set up to deal with.
"The juvenile justice system was created with more behavioral problems in mind than really violent offenses," Worrell told FOX 35.
She says in the juvenile system, Spencer Jr. would be out before he could face any real consequences - that’s why she’s choosing to charge him as an adult.
'The adult system simply isn't equipped'
The other side:
Josh Rovner, the Director of Youth Justice with the Sentencing Project, says the problem is that might not be the solution either.
"The adult system simply isn't equipped at all to deal with young people," said Rovner.
The CDC and DOJ looked into recidivism rates for youth offenders, comparing kids who committed similar crimes and stayed in the juvenile system to those who were transferred to the adult system.
A Florida-focused study found, "by every measure of recidivism used, reoffending was greater among those transferred to adult criminal court."
"Teenagers are terrible at understanding consequences. They are impulsive," Rovner said. "Adolescence is a developmental stage of life, it is not a chronic condition. People age and mature. That's why the juvenile system is better for young people."
So, the Sentencing Project is calling for change too.
'We're all about rehab, help, rehabilitative justice. But there's a certain line.'
What they're saying:
So is Volusia County Sheriff Mike Chitwood. He’s in a different judicial circuit, but he’s been supportive of reform in the juvenile system. He’s also in favor of prosecuting minors as adults for violent crimes.
"We're all about rehab, help, rehabilitative justice. But there's a certain line. And violent crimes do not apply there," said Sheriff Chitwood. "You are a danger and a violent person in your community, and you have to pay the price for it. Sorry."
Worrell’s thinking is more rehabilitative.
"Give us an opportunity to give this kid a chance to be better, to be rehabilitated, while also facing the consequences for their actions."
State Attorney Worrell and Representative Lavon Bracy-Davis proposed a bill a couple of years ago that would’ve kept kids in the juvenile system until they’re 21, with the goals of rehabilitation and community safety both in mind.
"When a child poses a threat that is beyond the current time that we would be able to have jurisdiction over them, then that means we can't deal with them in the juvenile justice system because we don't have that jurisdiction," Worrell explained.
That bill died almost instantly.
But there have been some changes made to the system recently.
HB 1181 heightens firearms offenses for minors and lets the State Attorney’s Office keep youth accused of crimes in detention for a longer span of time ahead of their hearing.
The DOJ study on recidivism rates for teens transferred to the adult system also concluded, "The effect of transfer was not in the direction that its advocates expect and that transfer actually aggravated short-term recidivism. Findings suggest that transfer from juvenile to criminal court has had little deterrent effect and has not produced any incapacitative benefits that enhance public safety."
George Spencer Jr. has hearings scheduled for tomorrow and Monday. Two public defenders have already had to withdraw because they’d represented someone who’s appearing as a witness for the State in this case.
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The Source: The information in this article comes from reporting done by FOX 35's Marie Edinger.