Attorney: Playground case should be dropped

Two young girls are accused of brutally attacking a classmate in Pa.

 

 

ERIE, Pa. - Two young girls accused of brutally attacking another girl on a playground are too emotionally immature to understand the criminal charges against them and the charges should be dismissed, their attorneys said.

 

The girls, ages 10 and 11, face aggravated assault and other charges for the attack on another 10-year-old girl at an elementary school playground the evening of April 3. The girls are accused of stomping on the victim and breaking her hip, police said.

 

Erie County Public Defender Tony Logue says he will ask a Juvenile Court judge to dismiss criminal charges against the 10-year-old girl.

 

"How can my attorney effectively communicate with his clients given the client's chronological age versus emotional age?" Logue said.

 

Attorney Bruce Sandmeyer said he has similar concerns for his client, the 11-year-old, and expects to file a similar motion in the coming days.

 

"My client is just 11 years old and just an elementary school student," Sandmeyer said.

The lawyers said the case should be treated as a dependency case, not a delinquency case. In legal terms, a judge who rules a child is dependent can place the child under the supervision of the Erie County Office of Children and Youth.

 

A delinquency case, which is what the girls currently face, is the juvenile court equivalent of a criminal case. If the girls are found delinquent, the equivalent of a guilty verdict, they could be confined in a juvenile detention facility or otherwise be under the supervision of the court until they turn 21.

 

Ian Murray, another lawyer for the 10-year-old girl, said she and her family feel deep remorse for the attack. "This is tragic for everyone, especially the victim," Murray said.

 

Family members of the 11-year-old suspect say she is an "A" and "B" student who has never been in trouble before.

 

The injured girl said the other girls pulled her off the monkey bars and attacked after she told the girls to stop splashing water on her 8-year-old sister in the school playground. Police said the victim was repeatedly stomped on the head and legs.

 

The victim remains hospitalized and is expected to undergo at least one week of rehabilitation at a hospital. She has three pins in her hip to keep the bones in place and may eventually need a hip replacement, her mother said.

 

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/24052416/

 

As a mother of a 9 year old girl.  I HOLLAR!  BULLSHIT!  I don't care what state, I don't care if the girls are purple or mauve colored skinned, I don't care if the girls are Pagan, Christian, Muslim, Buddist, or what have you............they KNEW what they were doing!  I don't care if they were "good girls"  and got straight A's or if they were "bad girls" and got straight F's.  They KNEW what they were doing.  So they don't understand the court system and all the big words.  Got news for folks, unless your in a profession of the justice system, NOBODY knows the court system and the big words because it is all sooooooooooo complicated.

 

Their parents get lawyers for them, the lawyers and the parents EXPLAIN things to them in words they can understand!  They need to be held accountable NOW or they are going to continue this behavor of snapping for stupid shit!

 

I didn't read the whole story to my kids, but I think it is awfully interesting that I explained the jist of the story to my 9 year old daughter and 8 year old son.  I asked them what would happen to them if they were stupid enough to do something like this.  If my 9 and 8 year old can look at me in a shocked manner and go:

 

"We would go to jail for hurting another kid that badly.  And if we didn't go to jail we would be someplace for just kids in jail, having to correct our naughty behavor."

 

I also asked them if anything else would happen to them besides going into jail.  And this is what they said.

 

"Well, since we aren't old enough to pay for everything like lawyers, our parents would probably get told to pay for our laywers and pay for the other kid's operation if she had one.  And their parents might have to pay the other girl's family some money to say sorry."

 

So notice they don't completely understand the process of the court system, but they do understand a good portion of it.  And before anyone says I told them, WRONG!  I cleared some things up after they proved that they could understand the situation and that is it.  Make those lil girls accountable NOW for their behavor.

 

"SADNESS"  

 

 

Not too long ago, a few weeks to be exact, I had met a wonderful woman online. She and I just started chatting and all was well. A new friend I had found. Then, I asked her for a date. She was reluctant, but then in a day she replied and said ok. I flew to see her, and we met at the restraunt. I arrived before her and secured a nice table. When she arrived, I was just awl struck. There before me sat the most beautiful woman I had ever met in many years. She just was awsome. We had a wonderful dinner and finished with some real nice wine. As I walked her to her car, we just said good night. I gave her a slight hug and left. The next day, she emailed me to tell me she had a very nice time and wanted to see me again soon.

   Well, over the next several days, we chatted, and talked occasionly on the phone. I 'll be was to see her again in mid April. Well, something happened that changed things and to this day I think I will be a changed man. The result of what happened, caused her to leave my life as fast as she came into it. She has had almost no contact at all with me. I am very sad. I am very lonely for her company. I have just really shut down inside because of it. The next chapter will explain why, and what happened to cause this. One thing is certain, I have lost an angel.

 

 

"BROKEN"

 

   First some background. When I was young, about 16, I had a girl and we were inseperable. WE dated all through school. She was to go to college and I had no idea what I was doing, so we talked it over. I was going into the Navy, she to college. After it was over, we would marry. While on deployment, I received word she was very ill and in a hospital. I tried so go back but since she wasn't immediate family, I could not. It was about a week later, she died. To this day, it hurts me to talk about this. I was just so devastated. I had an emotional breakdown. My friends on board helped my through it. When I returned home, I stayed at her grave for several days. It would be many years before I could even think about liking another girl. Then I met one and we married. We were in love, though I was anyway. One day about two years after we married, I came home from work early to take her out for the weekend as a surprise. I came in the house and there she was having sex with some guy in my bed. At first, I was traumatized, later I just fell apart, my second breakdown.

   I would be about 8 years when I met my next wife. We had a boy. When he was 18 months old, she just up and left. I haven't seen her since. One night, about 3 days after, it hit me that I was now raising my son alone. An emotional breakdown hit me hard. Now, wife number 3. One would think it is me. I am not a bad person. I am very honest, hard working, caring and I do not lie. These are traits I am very proud of. Well, one night, she came home and said she was moving out to live with some guy. I felt nothing, no reaction, nothing, I just asked her why. She said she didn't love me any more. That was it.

   Now back to my beautiful date. She had just one very basic rule. She did not want to get involved, no relationship, just date and have fun. I was ok with this. So I thought. Well, a few days after the dinner, A switch came on in me. I began to send her email after email telling her I really liked her. She told me she had done something very bad and it ruined her marriage and had made her a very closed person. I just couldn't help it, but I just wanted to help her so bad. She was hurting so much inside. I tried to love with out her knowing, but it came out. I just cared so much for her. My emails became so persistant, then I had some sort of breakdown on her through these emails. By then, she had had enough. She sent me this one email and the switch in me went off, just like that. It was too late and she doesn't want to see me again. She said I want more than she can give. She just doesn't want me around for that reason. I do not blame anyone but myself for this.

   Just after I came back to my senses, I wrote to her explaining that, perhaps what had happened was the delay in reaction of what had happened to me with my wife a few months ago. She has not, to this day, acknowleged my email. It was to explain the reason for my total out of character behavior. I told her how embarrassed and ashamed I was for it. Still, no nothing. This has broken me, I am spent, I have nothing left to give anymore. I have hurt the one person I cared so much about in many years, and I do not blame her for feeling the way she does, it just would be so nice if she would just say something to me to show she understood.

   I can only wait now to leave here. There just isn't any love or caring here anymore. All I wanted was to have someone care for me as much as I cared for them. Not love, nothing more than care. I had the most beautiful woman in my life, in my life, and I screwed it up. But, I blame no one.

  

  I have worked so very hard in my life and I will be taking retirement at 55. Then I can sit back and wonder what if............

 

 

Actually, I will do some traveling and see some very nice places....alone.

I thought he loved me.

I really did.

But it turns out he didnt feel the same.

 

He was the one person i could confide in. The one person i could feel comftable around.

And now he's ended it.

 

Maybe my problems were too much for him. Maybe they'll always be too much. Maybe i should just gat used to being alone.

 

One things for sure though, i'll never love another the way i loved him.

 

It's funny, but i still love him even though he's broken my heart.

I met someone wonderful. Someone that was just.. perfect for me. They were exactly what i wanted in a mate--- The EXACT thing!

 

What do i do? I fall in love with them!

 

Next, what happens? Well fuck he has a GF. Its all good, she never comes up, and his sweet sweet words caress my heart.

 

Then one day she comes up. And talks to me. And she talks about. How she loves him, how they're engaged, blah blah blah.

 

and i feel betrayed by those sweet words of caring, because how could he say to me that his day just got better, when he has a woman to already say that to!

 

 

And i feel betrayed by my own heart for i feel now, like i'll never, ever EVER be allowed one ounce of happiness.

 

 

Im so tired of existing.

 

Dutifully taking pills to make myself better, only to wake up more often wishing i could be dead.

and so banged up

 

The scrape on my arm is swollen.  It's noticeable too.  HURTS like a son of a bitch everytime I shower too.  But other than that and the bruise that is forming underneath it, it is healing well.

 

My leg is all bruised up as well.

 

And it hurts to take a deep breath, so something happened to my torso area when I took my fall.

 

also, lifting my arm and brushing my hair is almost completely out of the qustion.  I bruised a bunch of muscles on my right arm (which also has the scratch).

 

That fall was a doozy!!!  At least the dog is safe and sound.  I'd fall again if it came down to it....