Jordan Brown to be Tried in Juvenile Court

Juvenile Law Center,

In a ruling late Tuesday, Lawrence County Judge Dominick Motto ordered Jordan Brown to be transferred from criminal court to juvenile court. Motto had originally ordered Jordan, who was 11 years old when he was accused of shooting his father’s fiancé, to be tried as an adult because he refused to admit guilt.

The Superior Court of Pennsylvania held that Motto erred by compelling Jordan to admit guilt in order to have his case transferred to juvenile court, stating “the trial court violated Jordan’s right against self-incrimination.” The case was referred back to Judge Motto for reconsideration leading to yesterday’s decision.

Lourdes Rosado, Juvenile Law Center Associate Director, assisted Jordan’s defense team and argued the appeal before the Superior Court, thus sending the decision back to Judge Motto for reconsideration. “It is never appropriate for an 11-year-old child to be tried as an adult, especially in Pennsylvania where this charge carries an automatic life sentence without the possibility of parole. Juvenile court is the appropriate venue,” says Rosado. “The laws in Pennsylvania are archaic,” says Jordan’s attorney David Acker.

“The judge made the correct ruling. No child should ever face life in prison.” Youth who are found delinquent (guilty) in juvenile court receive a wide array of rehabilitative services and can be held under court supervision until the age of 21.

“If Jordan is adjudicated delinquent, the juvenile justice system will have had nearly 10 years to hold him accountable and provide rehabilitation. That is an extraordinary amount of time for an 11-year-old and is certainly long enough to serve the needs of public protection,” says Robert Schwartz, Juvenile Law Center Executive Director. “Studies consistently show that in these cases, the rehabilitation provided by the juvenile justice system protects the interests of the public better than the punitive adult criminal justice system.”

Juvenile Law Center is the oldest national, non-profit, public interest law firm to advance and protect the rights and well-being of children in the child welfare and juvenile justice systems.

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