August 5Th Jordon Brown(Age 13) Gets His last Chance To Ask For Transfer To Juvenile Court

Document - USA: Further information: Transfer hearing scheduled for boy aged 13
Further Information on UA: 97/10 Index: AMR 51/062/2011 USA Date: 6 July 2011 Date: 6 July 2011

URGENT ACTION

TRANSFER HEARING SCHEDULED FOR BOY AGED 13

O n 5 August Jordan Brown will have a rare second chance to argue for his case to be transferred to juvenile court for trial. The Pennsylvania Attorney General should seize this opportunity to agree unconditionally to the transfer .


On 8 June, Jordan Brown’s lawyers met with the prosecution and the trial court judge to prepare for the hearing, ordered by the Pennsylvania Superior Court, on the issue of transferring his case to a juvenile court. It is yet to be decided whether parties will introduce new evidence or whether the hearing will be based on prior oral arguments.


According to press reports, the Senior Deputy Attorney General, Anthony Krastek, has indicated that he may consider moving the case to juvenile court on the condition that Jordan Brown admits guilt. Defense lawyers for Jordan Brown have responded in the press that the 13-year-old boy has no intention of doing so, standing by his denial of the charges for the past 25 months.


The hearing is the result of the Pennsylvania Superior Court’s decision to vacate an earlier ruling which denied Jordan Brown’s petition for transfer to juvenile court. Aged 11 at the time of the crime, he has been automatically charged for trial in an adult court, as required by Pennsylvania law for cases involving murder. He has been charged with two counts of homicide, because the victim, Kenzie Houk, was eight-and-a-half months pregnant and her unborn child also died. If tried in adult court and convicted of first-degree murder, Jordan Brown would be automatically sentenced to life imprisonment with no possibility of parole. This sentence, when imposed on anyone who was under 18 years old at the time of the crime, violates international law.


PLEASE WRITE IMMEDIATELY in English or your own language:

Explaining that you are not seeking to excuse the killing of Kenzie Houk;

Pointing out that international law prohibits life imprisonment without the possibility of parole for anyone who was under 18 years old at the time of the crime;

Calling on the prosecution to meet its international obligation to ensure that Jordan Brown is not sentenced to life imprisonment without parole;

Urging the prosecution to seize the opportunity of the hearing to agree to the transfer unconditionally and drop its pursuit of a trial in an adult court.


PLEASE SEND APPEALS BEFORE 16 AUGUST 201 1 TO:


Pennsylvania Attorney General

Linda L Kelly

Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General

16th Floor, Strawberry Square

Harrisburg, PA 17120, USA

Fax: +1 717 787 8242

Email: http://attorneygeneral.gov/contactus/ Salutation: Dear Attorney General

http://www.amnesty.org/en/library/asset/AMR51/062/2011/en/ab55aa18-14f2-4eae-bfaa-5d13f7611bb1/amr510622011en.html