James Doyle's family says the justice system is failing them
"There's no justice here. That's what were asking for is justice for James."The family of an Indianola teen who was shot to death last summer says the boy charged with the crime is getting off scott free. Fourteen year-old Daniel Nadler was originally charged with first degree murder for the shooting death of 16-year old James Doyle.
The charge has since been lowered to second degree murder, and a plea agreement could lower it even further. That possibility isn't sitting well with Doyle's family.
Police say this all started with an argument over religion and ended with the death of one teen and the arrest of another. A Warren County judge denied the prosecution's attempt to try the case in adult court, leaving open the possibility of a sentence of a few months in a juvenile detention facility.
"This child was murdered and taken away from us by another human being. That human being is getting just a smack on the hand," says Bobby Morse, James Doyle's uncle.
Morse is infuriated that now fifteen year-old Daniel Nadler won't see the inside of a prison cell for allegedly killing his nephew. He says the boy committed an adult crime and should be punished as an adult.
Prosecutors say that's what they tried to do, but a judge's ruling means Nadler will at most remain in custody until his 18th birthday.
"There are different levels of punishment for adult crimes and the point is to punish people. In juvenile court it's technically for the benefit of the child, to rehabilitate the child before they become an adult," says Warren County Attorney Bryan Tingle.
In juvenile court there are no mandatory minimum sentences, meaning a person convicted of first degree murder could serve the same amount of time as a person convicted of involuntary murder. The judge will make the ultimate decision.
-This is a repost from whotv.com
Please help out by contacting:
Judge Richard B. Clogg richard.clogg@iowacourts.g
Prosecuting attorney: Brian Tingle attorney@co.warren.ia.us
Wow. At 15 you should definitely know what you're doing when you kill someone. Obviously the kid doesn't deserve the death penalty but he needs to be locked up for a long time.
ReplyDeleteAny background on the "argument about religion" that started the whole incident?