It’s hard to argue with the logic used by Delco Judge Frank Hazel this week.
After a marathon series of hearings, the judge ruled that a Lansdowne teen will not face trial as an adult in the stabbing death of his brother.
Thus Jahmir Ricks will leave the George W. Hill Correctional Facility, the county jail at Broadmeadows. He will be moved to the county’s Juvenile Detention Center in Lima. Soon after that he likely will make his way fairly quickly through the juvenile court system. If convicted, he will remain in custody until he reaches the age of 21.
Ricks is 14. He’s been a “guest” of the county since his arrest last July. He was 13 at the time. He spent almost a year in adult prison, charged with first-degree prison.
Police say the killing, in which they say Jahmir plunged a knife into his older brother’s chest, stemmed from an argument over a video game. Jahmir had won a game, and thus was supposed to take over the game controller. His older brother Antwan apparently had other ideas. Things heated up considerably from there.
During one of the more than half-dozen hearings to determine whether Jahmir’s case should be handled in the adult or juvenile court systems, something else became apparent. Disputes between the two brothers were not unusual. In fact, a pattern became pretty clear that Antwan routinely beat up on his kid brother.
So much so that his mother told the court she actually thought it would be Antwan who would be responsible for taking Jahmir’s life, not the other way around.
Hazel wisely assigned Jahmir’s case back to juvenile court, saying the 14-year-old had neither the “maturity level or sophistication of either an adult or even other juveniles with which he is currently housed.”
The district attorney’s office has 10 days to decide whether to appeal the ruling in Superior Court.
We hope they don’t. Jahmir Ricks has spent more than enough time being treated as an adult, despite the serious nature of his crime. He’s a kid.
That’s what Delco Judge Frank Hazel ruled. It’s hard to argue with his reasoning.
After a marathon series of hearings, the judge ruled that a Lansdowne teen will not face trial as an adult in the stabbing death of his brother.
Thus Jahmir Ricks will leave the George W. Hill Correctional Facility, the county jail at Broadmeadows. He will be moved to the county’s Juvenile Detention Center in Lima. Soon after that he likely will make his way fairly quickly through the juvenile court system. If convicted, he will remain in custody until he reaches the age of 21.
Ricks is 14. He’s been a “guest” of the county since his arrest last July. He was 13 at the time. He spent almost a year in adult prison, charged with first-degree prison.
Police say the killing, in which they say Jahmir plunged a knife into his older brother’s chest, stemmed from an argument over a video game. Jahmir had won a game, and thus was supposed to take over the game controller. His older brother Antwan apparently had other ideas. Things heated up considerably from there.
During one of the more than half-dozen hearings to determine whether Jahmir’s case should be handled in the adult or juvenile court systems, something else became apparent. Disputes between the two brothers were not unusual. In fact, a pattern became pretty clear that Antwan routinely beat up on his kid brother.
So much so that his mother told the court she actually thought it would be Antwan who would be responsible for taking Jahmir’s life, not the other way around.
Hazel wisely assigned Jahmir’s case back to juvenile court, saying the 14-year-old had neither the “maturity level or sophistication of either an adult or even other juveniles with which he is currently housed.”
The district attorney’s office has 10 days to decide whether to appeal the ruling in Superior Court.
We hope they don’t. Jahmir Ricks has spent more than enough time being treated as an adult, despite the serious nature of his crime. He’s a kid.
That’s what Delco Judge Frank Hazel ruled. It’s hard to argue with his reasoning.
Comments
that made my whole month when i heard this!!
hope to see him see!
honestly knowinq antwan and jahmir like i did; i know it was an accident; jay loved his brother even know he constentaly abused him. he hit his as he was his child; jahmir would come with bruises and everythinq