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Cathy Corry during CNN interview with Wolf Blitzer |
On November 14, 2002 Derek and Alex King pled guilty to
beating their father to death with a baseball bat. They were 13 and 12 years of
age, respectively, at the time. Upon this news, justice4kids.org's Cathy Corry
was invited by CNN to be interviewed by Wolf Blitzer.
What you think...
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Name:
Email:
Tel:
Derek and Alex king deserve a stronger penalty. You say that they are kids but
when they came into court today they were smiling like they didn't do anything.
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Name:
Email:
Tel:
[I am frustrated and discouraged] that people like yourself, in the so-called
interest of juvenile
murderers, do a disservice to the greater society at-large. You are
out-of-step with the mainstream of American culture, who have spoken
through their state's legislatures in most states, to provide a
"declination" process (transfer of juveniles to adult court) for capital
murder. As a professional counselor working with the most serious
juvenile offenders in my state, including murderers, I agree that these
young felons should receive extensive treatment, but there should also be
a severe punishment aspect alongside to send a message as to the
seriousness of their transgressions. To do otherwise is to allow
potential sociopaths a playground on which to practice unfettered, to
which your tepid philosophy contributes. The most basic psychology
precepts dictate that sanctions for negative behavior must be more costly
than the "rewards" (psychological, social, financial, sexual, etc.) of
that behavior or it is likely to reoccur, not necessarily in the form of
homicide, but in violent, antisocial or criminal tendencies. The recent
decision on the King brothers in Florida was reasonable and appropriate
in this regard, a balance between consequences and treatment. In case
you are wondering as to my credentials, I hold a BS in Developmental
Psychology and an MA in Criminal Justice, further I have performed
extensive graduate research in the field of juvenile homicide.
Jeff Yancey, M.A.
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Name: Lyall
Email: mulligan30162rogers.com
Tel:
Re the boys in Fla who admitted to murdering their father.
Luck boys with the sentence
If they have been living with and have been brought up by their mother
she should get 8 plus 7 years for not teaching them that you do not beat
people to death.
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Name: Andre
Email:
Tel:
Sorry, the King boys were old enough to kill, now they deserve their
punishment. If they go without punishment any kid will hide behind this
screen and will do what they want as they are doing enough already
watching TV and the stupid songs they listen to and all the other bad
influences they cheer.
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Name: jeff giroux
Email:
geeeyeare@msn.com
Tel:
Regarding the two "poor" "innocent" King brothers, if the spokesperson
you had on for CNN reflects the views of your organization... then honey
I feel sorry for you. These boys are already damaged. It's too late
for them. They have not, will not and can not find sanctuary in any
system you nor anyone else can
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Name: BuzzC
Email:
Tel:
Cathy--
I just seen your appearance on Wolf Blitzer on CNN. You're so full of it
it's not funny in the least. We done did the kid glove treatment crap for
far, far to many years in this wonderful state called Florida. Kids, no
matter what their ages deserve everything they get in the correctional
system. And that includes gettin' their booty holes screwed too! If they
can't do the time then they damn sure better not do the crime! It's as
simple as that. I don't give a damn that they can't vote, can't drive,
can't, can't, can't, can't, whatever. Scum gets treated like scum, that's
the bottom line. It's a fact that violence in children is far, far worse
than in adult criminals. Why is this? I don't have the quick easy answer.
It probably has to do with shitty parenting, stupid video games, etc.,.
Cry for the ones who truly deserve your tears, the victims... BuzzC's
Spot ~
http://home.switchboard.com/buzzcareysinfo
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Name: Greg Mauldin
Email:
Gregmaul84@aol.com
Tel:
Dear Justice 4 kids
I do not know what you guys are doing. I was just watching CNN and herd
one of your spokes people talk about the two boys that killed their
father in Florida. They both got 8 years they should had not given them 8
years they should had got life. What is next when they but John Lee Malvo
on trial do you want them to give him 1 year then he is free. NO Malvo
should get death right beside his partner.
I just had a friend raped by a 17 year he will be 18 in two
weeks. What
do you want them to try him as a child and he get 1 or 2 years (more like
25). I have just turned 18 my self and I do not think that your group is
doing children right. I think you are just a liberal group causing
trouble.
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Name: Magone
Email:
Tel:
I am appalled by some of the responses to the King brothers verdict. The almost
unbelievable cruelty of some of your responses, for instance, wishing that the
King brothers could be killed, or that they be raped and sodomized reveals a
mentality that is sadistic and morally depraved. The fact that there are people
out there like that perhaps explains the popularity of laws that expedite
treating youngsters as adults in criminal proceedings, and placing juveniles in
adult prisons. We have a lot of work to do. How is it so difficult that some
people can not see that 12 and 13 year olds are not miniature adults.
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Name:
Email:
Tel:
wishing you the best i seen you on cnn tv and you are right. thank you
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Name: Christy
Email:
Tel:
I feel for Alex and Derek King. It was never proven that they killed their
father. I've read some of the comments that were posted on your web site.
The negative comments made in regard to Alex and Derek are obviously from
individuals that do not have all the information to form an objective
conclusion. I can only assume that the two boys admitted to 3rd. degree
murder to finally put an end to this hole travesty. They are 13 & 14 years
old. I don't care what anyone else thinks but these two children needed our
help and we were not there for them. They did not deserve 7/8 years in
prison. I can only hang my head in shame at the justice system in the state
of Florida. What about Rick Chavis, that child molesting freak. He is the
murderer and destroyer of little children's lives. Let's talk about that.
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Name: Mary
Email:
Tel:
Regarding the two boys who 'allegedly' killed their father ... well, we
probably will never know for sure who did it ... and the boy's confession
was most likely only agreed to so that they would not get 20 years to life.
Who wouldn't admit to guilt? I would admit to guilt if I didn't have an
'airtight case' and I imagine that their attorney advised them (as he should
have) to plead guilty for a lesser term.
I also agree that these boys need professional help BIG
TIME because they appear to have had a lifetime of challenges. If either or
both of them were the victim(s) of sexual molestation, that is just an added
reason for serious counseling for what will be a lifetime of 'issues' ...
Good luck to them because only the Lord knows what awaits them in prison.
We should all pray for them ... if you pray.
...and as for the 'crude' and 'distasteful' posting on
this website (from the gentleman - and I use that term loosely because he
certainly doesn't sound like a gentleman to me ... who said that these boys
deserve everything they get and they are scum ... and some other awful
things...) you should be ashamed of yourself. To think that they, or
anyone, would deserve to be raped in prison is inhumane and if it is
punishment that anyone will receive, it will be from God ... if you believe
in God.
Furthermore, God forgives all ... you should start praying
for forgiveness yourself!
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Cathy:
I did not see you on CNN but I am sure you spoke well. I have just read some
of the absurd feedback and had to make a comment on there about the evil,
inappropriate feedback from those few people. It is their attitudes that
cause children to become violent -- they sound more like Chavis than anybody
else.
I fully support what
Justice4Kids is doing - I belong to
Under Our Wings
and I have followed what happened to these children closely. I have to say
that since Rimmer called us "little yellow dogs" I have become somewhat of a
Rottweiler in my attitude toward those misfits who would destroy children in
the name of "justice."
Thanks for what you are doing
--- keep it up.
Tim McDonald
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Transcript of CNN interview
CNN WOLF BLITZER REPORTS
Aired November 14, 2002 - 17:00 ET
BLITZER: In other news, the notorious case of two young boys convicted of
beating their father to death with a baseball bat has taken a final
strange turn. It's a case that once again challenges our vision of
innocence and stretches the bounds of American law. CNN's Mark Potter is
in Pensacola, Florida. He's been following the fate of Derek and Alex
King. Tell us what's the latest twist in this very, very strange story.
Go ahead.
MARK POTTER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Wolf, very strange indeed. In a
mediated settlement between the defense and prosecution, Alex and Derek
King, ages 13 and 14 pleaded guilty to Third Degree Murder in connection
with the beating death of their father last November.
This means, of course, there will be no retrial now. Alex was given a
seven-year prison sentence. His older brother Derek was given eight
years. Both will get credit for time served. They will spend their time
at one of two facilities, either near Tampa or Vero Beach, Florida. These
are state prison facilities that house only juveniles.
The mediator in the case, Bill Eddins (ph) said that it is important now
for these boys to have years of stability and structure in their lives,
which those items were missing from their lives for years. As part of the
deal also, they had to confess their role in the killing of their father.
Judge Frank Bell read that confession in open court in which the boys
also talked about their ties to 41-year- old Ricky Chavez who was accused
of hiding evidence in the case and having sex with one of the boys.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) JUDGE FRANK BELL, ESCAMBIA CO. CIRCUIT COURT: "He told
us that dad would kill us before he would let us live with Rick. He told
us that he might have to protect us from our dad. He told us that our dad
mentally abused Alex by "staring him down" which Rick said was extreme
mental abuse. On the night of my dad's death, Alex told me that Rick was
going to come by and pick us up at midnight. Alex suggested that I kill
dad. I murdered my dad with an aluminum baseball bat. I set the house on
fire from my dad's bedroom."
(END VIDEO CLIP)
POTTER: Now the boy's biological mother, Kelly Marino, who gave up the
boys years ago for foster care said she opposes this plea deal
complaining that she was shut out of the mediation process. She also
argues that the boys are simply too young to make such a momentous
decision.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KELLY MARINO, MOTHER: They're 13 and 14 years old. They're not able to
make this judgment for the rest of their lives and none of us were
allowed to have a say in that.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
POTTER: Now, in response to her criticism, the prosecutor said of the
boys: "They wouldn't be going to the state pen if she was paying more
attention to them when they were in the playpen." At the end of the
hearing, Alex and Derek were fingerprinted. They will undergo two to four
weeks of processing and testing, and then they will go off to a state
prison facility -- Wolf.
BLITZER: Mark Potter, Mark thanks very much for that report. And, the
decision about Derek and Alex King's future has been made but is it
justice? Cathy Corry is with justice4kids.org. It's an advocacy group for
children and adults trying to navigate Florida's juvenile justice system.
She's joining us now live from Tampa. Thanks so much, Kathy, for joining
us. Was justice served today?
CATHY CORRY, JUSTICE4KIDS.ORG: No. I believe justice was not served.
These two young boys are children. They deserve to be treated as the
juveniles that they are and not prosecuted as adults. They are not --
BLITZER: But in effect -- let me interrupt for a second, Cathy. In
effect, though, today this agreement that was worked out, this settlement
which they both have accepted is a lot less than any adult would have
received for this kind of crime.
CORRY: Yes, absolutely. It's better than the worst case scenario but it
still is against what we believe should be happening to our children.
They are not emotionally, mentally, physiologically; psychologically
mature enough to make proper decisions and choices in their lives and to
be held accountable as adults for those decisions. We don't let children
vote. We don't let drive or drink alcohol and they should have been
afforded juvenile justice. BLITZER: At this point according to Florida
law, according with the current law of Florida what you're suggesting is
you want that law to be changed?
CORRY: Absolutely. I would like to have it be where prosecutors did not
have discretion to transfer children to the adult court system.
BLITZER: But the prosecutors in this particular case had no choice given
the current law that exists on the books, is that right?
CORRY: I don't know the law. It's my understanding that they did have the
choice. Again, I'm not an expert in that area but from people that have
told me who are experts, there is a choice in the matter and it's just
easier for them to transfer it to adult court.
With adult court, you do get a jury trial. In Juvenile Court, you do not
get a jury trial. Often people believe that is a better deal to at least
get a jury of your peers but we believe that the adult sanctions are much
more severe than juvenile sanctions for juveniles.
BLITZER: (AUDIO GAP) in your efforts as well.
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