Logo
  • Home
  • Ask
  • Teen Help Network
  • About
    • About Judge Tom
    • Books
    • FAQs
    • Press Room
  • Your Rights
    • Crime and Punishment
    • Student Rights at School
    • You and Your Body
    • You and the Internet
    • Juvenile Justice System
    • LGBT Youth Rights
    • More Categories
  • Blog
  • Get Help
    • Videos
    • A Teenager’s Guide to Juvenile Court
    • Books
    • Research & Resources
  • Newsletter Signup

 

Q&A

Know your rights! Youth justice and juvenile law answers.

Askthejudge.info features regular updates from the news, important decisions from the nation′s courts, and online discussions with Judge Tom. Find out everything you need to know about youth rights, juvenile law and juvenile justice. AsktheJudge – Empowering youth one question at a time.

Disclaimer: The information contained in this site is made available to the general public and is not intended to serve as legal advice.You should consult a trained legal professional in your area for questions you may have about the laws affecting juveniles or any legal interpretations.

Copyright, 2014
Logo
October 11, 2015
Judge Tom
Blog
0

Is trying a 12-year-old in adult court for attempted murder cruel and unusual punishment?

PreviousNext
Slender Man stabbing

In 2009, Slender Man was created “to formulate something whose motivations can barely be comprehended, and [which caused] unease and terror in a general population.”  Some followers on the internet have acted out in attempts to please the fictional character.

During a sleepover in 2014 in Wisconsin, two 12-year-old girls, Anissa Weier and Morgan Geyser, lured another girl, Payton Leutner who was also 12, in to the woods. They planned to kill her, believing that if they didn’t, Slender Man would harm their families. One of the girls changed her mind while the other stabbed the victim 19 times. The girl survived and her attackers were taken into custody and charged with attempted murder.

In August, 2015, a Wisconsin judge ruled that the girls would be tried in adult court. Wisconsin law allows children of ten years of age to be tried in adult court if charged with first-degree attempted murder. Other states have similar laws. The judge calling the crime vicious and premeditated stated that “There has to be assurance to the public–and to these defendants as well– that a serious offense has to be dealt with on a serious basis that offers protection to everyone.” The lawyers for the girls argued that sending them to adult court amounted to cruel and unusual punishment in violation of the Eighth Amendment. They have asked an appeals court to review this decision. Consequently, the trial scheduled to start in October, 2015, was postponed indefinitely.

In April, 2016, a court declined to reduce the $500,000 bond set for each girl. They remain in jail pending trial. Morgan Geyser pleaded guilty to attempted first degree intentional homicide and awaits sentencing.  The second girl, Anissa Weier, pleaded guilty to attempted second degree intentional homicide and was sentenced in December, 2017 to 25 years in a psychiatric hospital. Her term was scheduled to start from the time of the crime. She’ll be 37 when she’s released.

Update: In February, 2018, Morgan Geyser, at age 15, was sentenced to forty years in a mental hospital. She spoke briefly at the hearing saying that “I just want to let Bella and her family know that I’m sorry. . . . And I hope she’s doing well.”

The victim, Payton, also known as Bella, turned 15 in February, 2017 and is reportedly excelling in high school, taking AP classes and moving forward.

 

juvenile lawsweapons
Share this
Judge Tom

The Author Judge Tom

Judge Tom is the founder and moderator of AsktheJudge.info. He is a retired juvenile judge and spent 23 years on the bench. He has written several books for lawyers and judges as well as teens and parents including 'Teen Cyberbullying Investigated' (Free Spirit Publishing) and 'Every Vote Matters: the Power of Your Voice, from Student Elections to the Supreme Court' (Free Spirit Publishing). In 2020, the American Bar Association published "Cyberbullying Law," the nation's first case-law book written for lawyers, judges and law students. When he's not answering teens' questions, Judge Tom volunteers with the American Red Cross and can be found hiking, traveling and reading.

Find great resources in our

Teen Help Network


Leave A Comment Cancel reply