The 16-year-old boy recently pleaded guilty to killing his two little brothers. He was able to make a deal with prosecutors to serve 15 years to life incarcerated. The proceedings took place in both adult court and juvenile court. The teen pleaded guilty in adult court to stabbing one of his brothers. He pleaded guilty in juvenile court to stabbing the other brother.
As part of the plea deal, the boy will be able to spend approximately the next five years in juvenile detention, as long as he stays out of trouble. If he begins to cause trouble, he might be sent to an adult prison prior to his 21st birthday.
This plea deal came because of a desire to spare the teen’s parents from having to deal with a trial. The teen is said to be sorry for killing his brothers. While he does have a prison sentence to deal with for their murders, he at least has a hope of getting out of prison in the future. He was able to secure a plea deal that enabled him to bypass the pain of reliving the events surrounding his brothers’ death in a trial setting.
The right to defend yourself is one that everyone has. Part of this right means learning about what possible plea deals you might be able to make with the prosecutors. However, a plea deal is not the right choice for every defendant and should only be entered into under the guidance and advice of an experienced attorney.
Source: 610KDAL, “Utah teen admits stabbing two younger brothers to death” Jennifer Dobner, Jun. 18, 2014
