Comp 4P 11/6/08

1. Comp 4P11/6/08 Get out Activity 6 – Summarizing from last night. Below your summary, write a one paragraph personal response to the ideas presented in the article “Supreme Court to Rule”. Remember, the summary should have no personal ideas or opinions about the topic. The place to express you ideas is in your response!

2. A word about summaries. . . • Summarizing is a vital skill you will use for years to come. • Lawyers like Mr. Holly must constantly summarize large quantities of information accurately and quickly. • Police officers and investigators must summarize the facts of a case. • Journalists must often summarize the contents of studies and reports.

3. Juvenile Justice Activity 6 - Summarizing • A good summary for Supreme Court to Rule should include the following: • The Supreme Court will soon rule on whether young offenders such as Robert Acuna should be eligible for the death penalty. • Supporters of the death penalty believe that it is being used responsibly because it is only imposed in the worst cases, while others believe it is cruel and unusual.

4. Juvenile Justice Activity 6 - Summarizing • A good summary for Supreme Court to Rule should include the following: • Some say juries have been unreliable and cases against teens are problematic because they are more likely to confess, they lack the ability to understand the system, and their brains are not fully developed.

5. Juvenile Justice Activity 6 - Summarizing • A good summary for Supreme Court to Rule should include the following: • The Supreme Court is currently weighing whether juries should be trusted to make these decisions or whether the court should draw the line. • Currently in these types of cases age can work for or against a defendant. Youth can be seen as mitigating factor or a reason for juries to be harsh.

6. Background Information“Supreme Court to Rule” • Though Robert Acuna was tried, convicted and sentenced to die in Texas, he was moved off death row after a Supreme Court decision determined executions in cases like his are unconstitutional. • The Supreme Court heard the case of Christopher Simmons in March of 2005 and determined juveniles should not be eligible to receive the death penalty for crimes they committed under the age of 18.

7. Background Information“Supreme Court to Rule” • Because the Supreme Court determines points of law for the entire country, the sentences of 72 people from across the country sitting on death row for crimes committed before they were 18 were affected by this ruling. Robert Acuna was one of them. • Though this is the most recent decision, it does not mean the issue is dead. The Court’s decision was close, 5 - 4, and the make-up of the Court has since changed. This means, if the Court were to consider the case today, the outcome might be different.

8. Juvenile JusticeActivity 5 – Part 2: Annotating • You will spend the next 10 minutes rereading “Kids are Kids – Until they Commit Crimes” silently to yourself. • As you reread, make personal annotations in the right hand margins. • Remember, personal annotations are your own personal reactions to the text. These include questions, comments, expressions of surprise, disagreements etc.

9. Background Information“Kids are Kids” • California Proposition 21 Prop 21, was a proposition proposed and passed in 2000 that increased a variety of criminal penalties for crimes committed by youth and incorporated many youth offenders into the adult criminal justice system.

10. Background Information“Kids are Kids” Some provisions of the law included: • Increased punishment for gang-related felonies; death penalty for gang-related murder; indeterminate life sentences for home-invasion robbery, carjacking, witness intimidation and drive-by shootings; and a new crime of recruiting for gang activities. • Required adult trial for juveniles 14 or older charged with murder or specified sex offenses.

11. Background Information“Kids are Kids” • Though the proposition passed, in February, 2001, a state Court of Appeal in San Diego invalidated certain provisions of the law requiring 14 to 17-year-olds to be tried in the adult courts.

12. Background Information“Kids are Kids” • Lionel Tate was originally convicted of first-degree murder and sentenced to life in prison. • In January 2004, a Florida state appeals court overturned Tate’s conviction on the basis that his mental competency had not been evaluated before trial. This opened the way for Tate to accept a plea deal, and he was released after serving 3 years in prison. He was released on one year's house arrest and 10 years' probation.

13. Background Information“Kids are Kids” • In May 2005, Tate was charged with armed burglary with battery, armed robbery and violation of probation in Broward County, Florida. • Tate greeted a Domino's Pizza deliveryman with a handgun outside a friend's apartment. The man dropped the four pizzas and fled the scene. Tate then re-entered the apartment, assaulting the occupant who did not want Tate inside. • Tate admitted that he had violated probation by possessing a gun during the May 23 robbery that netted four pizzas worth $33.60. He was sentenced to 30 years in prison on May 18, 2006.

14. Juvenile JusticeActivity 5 – Part 2: Annotating • Do you think Tate is simply a violent person and that his original crime was proof of his aggressive nature or do you agree with Lundstrom’s argument in ¶ 22 that his original trial and sentence in an adult court made him “more likely to come out a violent career criminal”? • Answer this question in the white space on page 3 of the story.