Babysitter Murder Case to Stay in Juvenile Court

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The 11 year old babysitter accused of killing a toddler in Sandy Springs will face charges in juvenile court, not adult court.  As expected, the Fulton County D.A.’s office made the only decision possible under Georgia Law.  The 11 year old is too young to be charged as an adult, despite public outrage over the death of 2 year old Zeyda White. The toddler somehow received a fatal blow to the head while in the care of the pre-teen babysitter last Saturday night. The youngster appeared in juvenile court Wednesday for an initial hearing and remains in Metro’s Youth Detention Center.  In general, juvenile court cases move through the system much faster than cases in adult court.   As the case unfolds, it will be heard by a juvenile court judge, not a jury.  The child will be represented by a defense attorney.  If found guilty, the child may be sent to a secure detention center for up to five years, with possible 12-month extensions at the discretion of the judge and the Department of Juvenile Justice, until the age of 21. Also reporting this story:

Myfoxatlanta.com

Examiner.com

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.

CASA Volunteers Look Out for Abused, Neglected Children in Court

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By Margie Richards at MadisonJournalTODAY.com

CASA Northeast Georgia executive director Melissa Mitchell got a letter recently from a child she’d helped as a CASA volunteer a decade ago in Forsyth County. The girl, one of four siblings whose case she had worked, wrote to tell her that she’d just graduated from high school and was headed to North Georgia College. She wanted to thank Mitchell for her help all those years ago.  “Often times, the rewards of being a CASA volunteer are not immediate, but there are many rewards in helping these children,” Mitchell said. A CASA (Court-Appointed Special Advocate) is a trained community volunteer who is appointed by a judge to advocate for the best interests of an abused or neglected child in juvenile court proceedings. The CASA volunteer’s job is to advocate for the child to be placed in a safe, permanent home as quickly as possible.

Budget Cuts: Will Children Pay?

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Juvenile Court Judge Timothy Pape has a disturbing prediction for Georgia. He expects to see many – and possibly more – of the state’s children getting into trouble or falling victim to abuse, but less being done about it. His daunting forecast is, in large part, inspired by recent reports that yet another massive state budget shortfall is forcing state agencies to slash already stretched budgets even further for the 2011 financial year. According to the Georgia Budget & Policy Institute at Georgia State University, as the state begins its 2011 fiscal year it is facing a potential budget shortfall of between $413 million and $613 million. This shortfall is in addition to the $2.5 billion in budget cuts already implemented since the 2009 financial year.

Family Group Targets Unruly Kids

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Floyd County has a program that is keeping runaways, truants and children caught up in other status offenses out of juvenile court.  The Parent and Family Support Group targets entire families.  The Rome News-Tribune is profiling the program in a series of stories. The Support Group was started by former Juvenile Court Probation Officer April Thomas. The group helps children like 13 year old Arianna Creamer, who was hitting and talking back to her mother, Julianne.  Julianne turned to Juvenile Court for help. Judge Timothy Pape tells the newspaper he tries to keep unruly kids from hurting themselves without treating them like criminals.

Playing Football Without a Helmet

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Working with kids in juvenile court is fast moving, intimate and direct...a lot like playing football without a helmet. That insight comes from  retired juvenile court prosecutor Elisabeth MacNamara.  This former ADA in DeKalb County, Georgia says the courts need more programs to help families and children in crisis. MacNamara spent four years supervising  prosecutors  in juvenile court,  and 20 years in Superior Court. She retired last May to become the President of the League of Women Voters of the United States.  She shares some candid and surprising views about the juvenile justice system.

Hall Co.Targets At-Risk Kids

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A multi-agency program focused on reading, self esteem and leadership skills for high school students is in the works in Hall County.  Juvenile Court, the Local Interagency Planning Team and the Family Connection Network are working with community groups to create the Hall System of Care. The free program will target juvenile offenders, truants, teen parents, foster children and other kids considered at-risk.  Funding is coming from a $94,317 grant from the Governor’s Office for Children and Families. Read more here.

Normer Adams: Data Matters

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"Anything worth doing is worth measuring," is the philosophy of the Fostering Court Improvement. Fostering Court Improvement is a non-profit organization that uses data to assist Dependency Courts and Child Welfare Agencies in making informed decisions, managing their operations, monitoring their performance and making systemic changes to improve outcomes for children and families. Their roots and founding are in Georgia. Georgia's own Barton Child Law and Policy Clinic at Emory University works very closely with the Family Research Center at the University of Illinois to refine data so that it is usable and accessible to the courts and child welfare agencies.  It is a terrific resource to our State and those involved in advocacy for the wellbeing of children in Georgia. They have an excellent website that has the latest information concerning many states including Georgia. Georgia's data is very informative and complete.  Data is sorted by county, region, judicial circuit and judicial district.  Comparisons can be made relative to how counties are doing in comparison to each other. Did you know that in regard to counties per 10,000 residents that:

Children subject to maltreatment investigations - Lanier County was the highest (55.5) and Webster County was the lowest number of investigations (0).

Treatment Program Working in Douglas County

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The Juvenile Court Family Treatment program in Douglas County just celebrated five new graduates.  The program is growing more successful, and some graduates are returning to help mentor their peers.  Two are participating in the Georgia Meth Project.  One of the tactics that seems to be working is handing out small gifts.  Small presents like picture frames and coupons can be good motivators.  Read more in the Douglas Neighborhood Newspaper.

Retired prosecutor to lead League of Women Voters

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Elisabeth MacNamara retired from her job as Deputy Chief Assistant District Attorney in charge of the Juvenile Court Division in DeKalb County just two weeks ago. Today, she is the newly elected President of the League of Women Voters of the United States.  She won a two-year term by unanimous vote from more than 600 delegates meeting in Atlanta on Tuesday. MacNamara was an assistant district attorney in DeKalb County since 1986. She’s been a League member even longer, serving as president of the Georgia League, and most recently, first vice president of the national League. During the convention here, the League of Women Voters of the United States set an agenda to study the federal role in public education and privatization of government functions.