MOBILE, Ala. (NBC 15) — Alabama lawmakers want to prohibit judges from granting youthful offender status to defendants charged with murder or capital murder. Right now, judges have the discretion to allow people who are charged before they turn 21-years-old to be tried as a youthful offender. That means a maximum three year prison sentence and case records sealed from public view. Mobile County District Attorney Keith Blackwood says he supports the move.
In a statement he told NBC 15 News, “it will help us hold juveniles more accountable when they commit capital murder or murder.”
“I don’t see the point in it, because when people think about, oh, well, there should be no youthful offender for murder, people forget; most people serving time for murder never shot anybody. They were just in the back seat,” said defense attorney Chase Dearman…