Arson Charges for a Child?
The L.A. Times is reporting:
Prosecutors Must Decide Whether to Charge 13-year-old Who Allegedly Started Brush Fire
September 17, 2009 | 7:28 am
Los Angeles prosecutors could decide today whether to file charges against a 13-year-old boy accused of starting the Morris fire above Azusa, which burned 2,100 acres last month.
According to the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department, detectives presented the case to the Los Angeles County district attorney's office Wednesday.
Details of how the fire started were not immediately clear, but in a statement, the department described the boy as being "primarily responsible for igniting the fire."
The Morris fire broke out in San Gabriel Canyon on Aug. 25, the same day the much larger Station fire was sparked. The Morris fire burned areas along Highway 39 a few miles north of Azusa.
The Station fire, the largest in L.A. County history, has been declared an arson. But there are no suspects.
The story highlights a conflict for the Los Angeles County DA's Office. On the one hand, public pressure to throw the book at suspected arsonists is at an all time high...on the heels a spate of deadly and multi-billion dollar fires.
On the other hand, children generally don't face prosecution for serious crimes, unless it can be shown that they knew right from wrong. In this case, however, it's likely a 13-year-old will be deemed to have appreciated the wrongfulness of his actions...alleged actions.
