Teen boy to be charged as adult for having nude photos... of himself

[Valmy]

http://reason.com/blog/2015/09/02/teen-boy-will-be-charged-as-adult-for-ha?utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=New+Campaign&utm_term=Vox+Newsletter+All

What the fuck is wrong with America? 

We have 50 states and many smaller jurisdictions all with their own laws. Hilarity ensues.

[crazy canuck]

Presumably one has to have time/financial resources to ride a court case up that high?

Hopefully someone along the way latches on to the case and provides the legal team.  The problem is more that the current bench doesn't seem interested in doing anything about such clearly unjust laws.

There is something called prosecutorial discretion. Even if the law is drafted in a faulty way so that if read literally it would allow to charge the purported victim with a crime, prosecutor should choose not to bring charges.

Oh my god - so shocking that a lawyer, somewhere, might decide to move forwards with ridiculous charges!

I don't understand your response.  It should be shocking that a prosecutor prosecutes a "ridiculous" charge.  Especially in a country where, in their wisdom, the people have decided to elect prosecutors.  But in reality that is really the problem isn't it.

[Malthus]

Gotta agree with Marti on this one - assuming the OP article is accurate.

The worst twist: he's to be tried as an adult. In his state, over-16 = tried as an adult.

However, his alleged crime is sexual expoitation of a minor, namely himself. In his state, that crime is applicable to under - 18s.

So, for purposes of punishment he's an adult, but for purposes of his crime he's a minor: he's an adult who sexually exploited a minor - namely, himself.

In a further twist, because he's an adult charged with a sex crime, his name was released to the media and broadcast everywhere, ensuring his total humiliation even if the charges are tossed out (as they ought to be).

The whole thing is a weird, Kafka-esque nightmare - so awful it is almost funny. 

[Valmy]

Sex laws get just stupid for people ages 16-22. Doing sexual things with your peers, perfectly ordinary stuff, can technically be a felony if you are not super careful and vigilant. And being super careful and vigilant is something people aged 16-22 are known for.

This seems kind of 'school to prison' pipeline-ish stuff to me.

[DGuller]

Oh my god - so shocking that a lawyer, somewhere, might decide to move forwards with ridiculous charges!

Um, yes, yes, it is shocking.  Did you just adopt this ridiculously idiotic position to spite Martinus?

[garbon]

Oh my god - so shocking that a lawyer, somewhere, might decide to move forwards with ridiculous charges!

Um, yes, yes, it is shocking.  Did you just adopt this ridiculously idiotic position to spite Martinus?

Maybe, unlike several of you, I live in the real world where it isn't unheard of that fucked up shit like this happens.

[DGuller]

Maybe, unlike several of you, I live in the real world where it isn't unheard of that fucked up shit like this happens.

So resignation is how one should deal with that?

[garbon]

Maybe, unlike several of you, I live in the real world where it isn't unheard of that fucked up shit like this happens.

So resignation is how one should deal with that?

Nah, probably best to post an internet thread about how terrible said country where such has occurred must be. That'll drive change.

[Valmy]

While it is a self-evident truth that what we say here means less than jack and shit, that is a cop out garbon and you know it 

[crazy canuck]

Oh my god - so shocking that a lawyer, somewhere, might decide to move forwards with ridiculous charges!

Um, yes, yes, it is shocking.  Did you just adopt this ridiculously idiotic position to spite Martinus?

Maybe, unlike several of you, I live in the real world where it isn't unheard of that fucked up shit like this happens.

Ok but in the real world when something goes wrong reasonable people don't attack the person who identifies the act which was wrong.

[Eddie Teach]

Ok but in the real world when something goes wrong reasonable people don't attack the person who identifies the act which was wrong.

If you're talking about Marty, that's not all he did.

[Valmy]

No outrages ever occur in non-America countries.

[crazy canuck]

Ok but in the real world when something goes wrong reasonable people don't attack the person who identifies the act which was wrong.

If you're talking about Marty, that's not all he did.

But that is what he was attacked for doing. 

[garbon]

While it is a self-evident truth that what we say here means less than jack and shit, that is a cop out garbon and you know it 

Well I think one has to pick one's battles unless one wants to be outraged all the time.

[The Brain]

God damn America.