D.A. Considers New Charges in Babysitter Murder Case

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An 11 year old girl remains in the Metro Youth Detention Center in Atlanta after a hearing Wednesday morning in juvenile court.  Police have charged the child with murdering 2-year old Zeyda White, who was left in her care on Saturday night. The D.A. has already decided not to try the babysitter as an adult, according to Lt. Steve Rose of the Sandy Springs Police Department.  He told the Examiner.com the D.A. will also decide whether to charge one or both parents, who left the toddler with the 11 year old babysitter. The Fulton County District Attorney issued this statement on Wednesday:
"Our office is awaiting a full report on this matter from the Sandy Springs Police Department. Upon receipt of that report, we will conduct our investigation and make a decision regarding the appropriate charges." Mom blogs across the nation are buzzing with concern.  Here are some comments from Momania:
"I don’t know who dropped the ball on this case.

11 Year Old Babysitter Accused of Killing Toddler

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A two-year old girl died Saturday night and Sandy Springs police are charging her 11 year-old babysitter with murder.  Little Zyda White died of a severe head wound and other injuries, according to Fox 5 Atlanta. Police interviewed the babysitter, who allegedly told them the toddler fell off a bed, but they believe the injuries were not accidental. Zyda's mother called 911 as soon as she picked up her daughter late Saturday and saw her condition.  She told reporters Tuesday afternoon that she wants the babysitter to spend the rest of her life in prison. While police are charging the 11-year old with felony murder and cruelty to children, the charges could be modified by the Fulton County D.A.  Under Georgia law, children under 13 must be tried in juvenile court. Readers commenting on 11alive.com questioned why an 11 year old child was caring for a 2-year old.

Barnes, Deal Oppose Changes in Juvenile Code, Favor Split-Jury Death Sentences

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Candidates for governor in Georgia favor tough laws for kids who commit adult crimes, and oppose some proposed changes in the juvenile code. According to the Florida Times-Union in Jacksonville, both Roy Barnes and Nathan Deal are against extending juvenile status to 17-year olds, who are currently tried as adults in Georgia.  While the issue of raising the age of juvenile court jurisdiction came up for discussion at a Senate hearing several weeks ago, it's important to note that SB292 does not contain any such language. The candidates also share the position that juries should be allowed to impose the death penalty without a unanimous decision. Both men have worked as prosecuting attorneys, and Deal is a former juvenile court judge.

New Look for JJIE.org

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We are redesigning the Juvenile Justice Information Exchange to make your experience more useful and enjoyable. Some highlights of our new and improved site:

More content
Easier navigation tools
Navigation bar with drop-down categories so you can find stories faster
New section for parents and kids
Expanding legislation section so we can keep you informed about new bills and progress on the proposed new Juvenile Code. Events calendar for training, conferences, forums, hearings and happenings in the community
News release section where we will post your releases with links back to your website
Media gallery for pictures and videos from events we cover. You can also send us your photos and videos with a line or two about your event. Submit your news and story ideas.  We want your input so we can cover what matters most to you. Your story tips will be reviewed confidentially. We’ll contact you before anything is posted.

FDA Panel Rejects Plan to Curb Teen RoboTripping

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Cough medicines containing dextromethorphan will continue to be sold over-the-counter, despite concerns that some young people are using it to get high.  A panel of Food and Drug Administration experts has voted against a proposal that would require a doctor’s prescription to buy Robitussin and 140 other cough medicines. Medical News Today reports some panel members were concerned the move would create too much paperwork for pharmacists and clinics. When taken in high doses, cough medicines can cause euphoria and hallucinations. Teens abuse it because it’s cheap and easy to get.  But sometimes the trip goes bad, with nausea, vomiting, rapid heartbeat and numbness. How big is the abuse problem?

Craigslist: Adult Services Section Closed for Good

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For the first time since Craigslist suddenly blocked sex ads 12 days ago, the company is talking about the decision. William Clint Powell, director of customer service and law enforcement relations at Craigslist, testified before the House Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism and Homeland Security. Powell promised the Adult Services Section will not re-open.  This could cost his company an estimated $44 million in annual revenue, according to The New York Times

Child advocates fighting the epidemic of child prostitution in Georgia and across the country are cheering the decision. According to Kaffie McCullough, campaign director for A Future Not A Past, “[Craigslist is] definitely the market leader in [prostitution] and as they go, others may go.”

Rep. Chris Smith (R- NJ) called the move “the responsible thing to do for the sake of the children.”

Powell warned that people who posted prostitution ads on Craigslist will move to other websites.  As cnet.com reports, he said Craigslist has done more to deal with legal and safety concerns than any other venue, calling it “one of the few bright spots and success stories in the critical fight against trafficking and child exploitation.”

Teens Turn in Classmate for Facebook Threats

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A Paulding County teenager faces three felony charges of making terroristic threats, plus one count of disrupting a public school, after police say he posted threats against three classmates on Facebook. According to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, other teenagers read the threats late Wednesday, told their parents, and called the Sheriff’s Department. WXIA TV reports deputies were searching for the 16 year old boy at North Paulding High School as buses were arriving Thursday morning. The teen turned himself in at the Sheriff’s office.  He will be held at a youth detention center until Monday, when he faces a hearing in juvenile court. While some people use Facebook as an outlet to blow off steam, threats are keeping police busy around the world right now.

Conference on Racial Disparities

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The Coalition for Juvenile Justice is holding its National DMC Conference October 23 – 25.  The OJJDP is expected to share preliminary results from the 2010 Disproportionate Minority Contact survey.   Some of the sessions will focus on:

Policies that unfairly shift youth of color into the juvenile justice system
Diverting youth of color: What a community with limited resources can do
The role of Schools in combating DMC
Effective police interactions with youth

The conference is in Jersey City, New Jersey. Details here. http://www.juvjustice.org/media/resources/public/resource_451.pdf

New Census Counts Children on Probation

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New data is coming in about how many children are on probation.  It’s a national snapshot from October 21, 2009.  Here’s a breakdown:

Total youth on probation:  196,806
16 year olds on probation:  49,841 (largest category)
10 – 12 year olds on probation:  3,923

The latest available data from Georgia shows 9,486 kids on court-ordered probation in April, 2005.   To get this number, researchers polled probation offices.  It is not clear whether they polled both DJJ probation offices, as well as independent court probation offices.  Georgia's independent courts handle about 50% of the state's juvenile cases, and may not always share data with the rest of the state. The 2009 Census of Juveniles on Probation was conducted by George Mason University for the OJJDP at the U.S. Department of Justice.  Researchers are still working with the data, so we may get new information as it becomes available.   Currently you can search for data based on gender, age, case load at juvenile probation offices, and more. Thanks to reclaiming futures.org for the alert.

Child Prostitution Ads Censored on Craigslist

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Craigslist has deactivated its controversial adult services section, under pressure from attorneys general in 17 states. The giant online ad service has been hammered for posting ads that sell underage girls for prostitution. The San Francisco Chronicle is reporting that erotic services links are covered with the word “censored” for locations inside the U.S., but still active outside the U.S.

The Attorneys General sent a scathing letter to Craigslist CEO Jim Buckmaster and founder Craig Newmark.  Here’s an excerpt:
The increasingly sharp public criticism of Craigslist’s Adult Services section reflects a growing recognition that ads for prostitution -- including ads trafficking children -- are rampant on it. In our view, the company should take immediate action to end the misery for the women and children who may be exploited and victimized by these ads.