Jacksonville prosecutors charge 13-year-old boy as an adult; Boy facing first-degree murder charge

A 13-year-old boy was charged as an adult this month in the murder of one man and the attempted murder of a second person. Police said the boy and two others, and 18-year-old and a 17-year-old, met two men at a Jacksonville gas station to exchange guns, according to a report in the Florida Times-Union. After the trade was complete, one of the men was shot dead and a second was shot and injured as he tried to run away, the newspaper reported. The 13-year-old is now charged with first-degree murder in the death of the man, attempted murder in the shooting of the other man, armed robbery and possession of a firearm by a convicted juvenile delinquent.

Typically, a first-degree murder charge only has two possible sentences – life in prison without the possibility of parole or the death penalty. Because the defendant is a juvenile, neither life in prison nor the death penalty are options in this Jacksonville Murder Case. If he is convicted, the judge would then issue a sentence of life in prison, but add a date for the defendant to be eligible for a hearing on being released. Typically, that term is about 40 years. The both is among several boys recently charged as adults with murder, including a 12-year-old charged with killing a homeless man last year. Of the three people police suspect in this Jacksonville Murder Case, two have been arrested and the 17-year-old is still on the loose. There is often some room to have the charges reduced for providing information in the case, but that’s if the person is on the periphery of the case. From what has been reported in the local media, police think the 13-year-old is the one who pulled the trigger, so it’s unlikely he’ll be able to work much of a deal with the state in this Jacksonville Murder Case. There is a completely separate court system designed to deal with juveniles. But the state has the option to charge youth accused of serious crimes as adults. That is common practice locally in cases where the charge is far less serious than murder, so it is highly unlikely this case will be anywhere but adult court.

If you or a loved one needs a criminal defense attorney in Jacksonville or the surrounding area, call The Mussallem Law Firm at (904) 365-5200 for a FREE CONSULTATION. Our Jacksonville Violent Crimes Attorney, Victoria “Tori” Mussallem, is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.