Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: WEDNESDAY, December 7, 1994 TAG: 9412070146
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: A-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: LAURENCE HAMMACK AND PAUL DELLINGER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Short
From 1980 to 1992, the juvenile arrest rate for violent crime went up by nearly 61 percent - and for murder by nearly 280 percent, from 21 to 77.
The General Assembly passed several laws in response, including lowering the age at which a juvenile can be tried as an adult to 14 and empowering judges to set longer sentences for juvenile offenders. Gov. George Allen has indicated he may seek more drastic measures.
Wythe County Commonwealth's Attorney Tommy Baird, whose office will seek the death penalty in this case, said the juvenile justice system lacks the ability to punish young offenders appropriately, and young offenders graduate to adult crime believing courts still will be lenient.
"I think we're breeding criminals. That's a horrible thing to say, but we're not cracking down as we should,'' he said. ``It's just very unfortunate and very sad. But I guess it does teach us something - kids 12 or 13 years old can kill you as well as someone 35 or 40, if they get a gun.''
by CNB