12-year-old boy jailed for 30 years

12-year-old boy jailed for 30 years

Paul Henry Gingerich is serving a prison sentence for the shooting that killed a friend’s step-father. Even though he didn’t pull the trigger — or know that he was going to be a part of the murder plot — Gingerich was sentenced to 30 years in jail.

In Indiana, a 12 year old like Paul can be tried as an adult if the court finds it is in the best interest of society. His attorney, Monica Foster, tells RT that the controversy surrounding the case has led to unjust circumstances for a child that doesn’t deserve this punishment.

According to Foster and a slew of supporters, Gingerich doesn’t belong there.His lawyer describes the youngster as someone with no prior incidents, and that the worst thing they could say about him at his hearing was that “he sometimes didn’t do his homework and he sometimes talked in class.”

Foster notes that the boy’s original attorney had practically no time to put together a defense case and says that there was no way anyone could be prepared for a trial like this one. Now family and supporters are urging others to help make it possible so that his sentence can be overruled.

Crazy judge. Crazy law. Crazy people. Indiana, you are nuts. Putting kids in jail for life. Seriously? Stop this madness... Not even the soviet union did this.

He shot the man and tried to cover it up, now he will pay for his crimes. Good riddance. His family should lose all social security payments as well should they be getting any.

Originally posted by Brokenbackrest
He shot the man and tried to cover it up, now he will pay for his crimes. Good riddance. His family should lose all social security payments as well should they be getting any.

edit on 19-8-2011 by Brokenbackrest because: (no reason given)

You fail so much...

Paul Henry Gingerich is serving a prison sentence for the shooting that killed a friend’s step-father. Even though he didn’t pull the trigger — or know that he was going to be a part of the murder plot — Gingerich was sentenced to 30 years in jail.

Can't you read?

Even if he had pulled the triigger, the kid is freaking 12. He should go in jail for the rest of his life... he should be in counseling/rehabilitation... mental facility...

The kid is 12, you can still put him on the right track.

I'd like to agree with you, but I don't know anything about the case. His defense team isn't going to paint a target on him, they'll try to make the judge and jury sound ridiculous. What exactly was his role in all of this?

A 12 year old is far too young to be able to make good decisions, but on the other hand is old enough to know that murder is wrong. I already knew that at the age of 6, if not earlier. 12 seems extremely young, it is, but people forget that 12 year old kids have fairly high intelligence by that age.

30 years in prison isn't going to rehabilitate him. If anything, he'll graduate from criminal school with honors by the time he gets out. He'll likely be more dangerous later in life. Depending on what actually happened, I'd probably send him to psychiatric evaluation and keep him there for a few years just to make sure he's O.K. in the head.

Originally posted by Vitchilo

Originally posted by Brokenbackrest
He shot the man and tried to cover it up, now he will pay for his crimes. Good riddance. His family should lose all social security payments as well should they be getting any.

edit on 19-8-2011 by Brokenbackrest because: (no reason given)

You fail so much...

Paul Henry Gingerich is serving a prison sentence for the shooting that killed a friend’s step-father. Even though he didn’t pull the trigger — or know that he was going to be a part of the murder plot — Gingerich was sentenced to 30 years in jail.

Can't you read?

Even if he had pulled the triigger, the kid is freaking 12. He should go in jail for the rest of his life... he should be in counseling/rehabilitation... mental facility...

The kid is 12, you can still put him on the right track.

No, YOU fail so much, by falling for this little cretin's family propaganda. Of course they are going to say that he is innocent, never pulled the trigger, but the fact is, he is a little psychopath who needs to be kept locked up.

Originally posted by Vitchilo
12-year-old boy jailed for 30 years

Paul Henry Gingerich is serving a prison sentence for the shooting that killed a friend’s step-father. Even though he didn’t pull the trigger...

Wow, this is the most lightweight news article that I'd read in a long time.
I had to go search other news items to find out what the story was!

As from what I've read, the boy is as guilty as hell.
And yes, he did shoot the guy - twice.
Go to jail. Go directly to jail. Do not get out of jail free.

Originally posted by alfa1

Originally posted by Vitchilo
12-year-old boy jailed for 30 years

Paul Henry Gingerich is serving a prison sentence for the shooting that killed a friend’s step-father. Even though he didn’t pull the trigger...

Wow, this is the most lightweight news article that I'd read in a long time.
I had to go search other news items to find out what the story was!

As from what I've read, the boy is as guilty as hell.
And yes, he did shoot the guy - twice.
Go to jail. Go directly to jail. Do not get out of jail free.

edit on 19-8-2011 by alfa1 because: (no reason given)

Guilty and no doubt fully involved in the planning. Hopefully when he gets to 18 they can retrial him and sentence him to death.

I never liked the American / British system if punishment, especially the American, it is more based on revenge and bitterness and locking up in retiliation / or murdering them back with the death penalty.

Wheras in European countries, especially Nordic Countries it is based more on Rehabilitation, and getting those people not only to pay for their crime, but more focus on getting back to being a useful member of society and undetrstanding what they did was wrong, more of a long term solution than a simply lock em up. What does that solve? America and Britain has some of the HIGHEST and UNSAFEST places to live in the world, Europe, especially the Nordic countries, lowest crime and safest places to live in the world.

Originally posted by JennaDarling

Wheras in European countries, especially Nordic Countries it is based more on Rehabilitation

Which is why we get things like the Norway shootings. Crime is crime, and a punishment must be harsh no matter how old the person is.

Originally posted by Brokenbackrest
He shot the man and tried to cover it up, now he will pay for his crimes. Good riddance. His family should lose all social security payments as well should they be getting any.

edit on 19-8-2011 by Brokenbackrest because: (no reason given)

Harsh much....jeez...

reply to post by Vitchilo


I'd be looking into the amount of money the parents make together..

that's the entire rabbit hole IMO

reply to post by Brokenbackrest


A preteen mind is very malleable. He can be reformed and as a civilized society it is our duty to do so. No man or family is an island. Your primitive views on punishment should also be reformed. You are welcome to join us in the 21st century western society culture any time you feel like leaving your cave and goats. Good luck.

Originally posted by JennaDarling

I never liked the American / British system if punishment, especially the American, it is more based on revenge and bitterness and locking up in retiliation / or murdering them back with the death penalty.

Wheras in European countries, especially Nordic Countries it is based more on Rehabilitation, and getting those people not only to pay for their crime, but more focus on getting back to being a useful member of society and undetrstanding what they did was wrong, more of a long term solution than a simply lock em up. What does that solve? America and Britain has some of the HIGHEST and UNSAFEST places to live in the world, Europe, especially the Nordic countries, lowest crime and safest places to live in the world.

This may be off topic, but I just had to say.... you're really on a roll today with the "Europe rocks and America Sucks" campaign.

No system is perfect. I'd like to see improvement in the American judicial system, but it may be decades before any positive changes can or will be implemented.

Tried embedding the vid and failed, miserably.

There doesn't appear to be enough information for me to gauge how truly wrong this is. But I do think it is wrong.
He is going into juvie with other more violent offenders that could force him to become something that he's not.

I'm not saying that he's an empty husk to be influenced instantly by others' behaviour, but given time, you would probably end up giving in to influences of other juvenile "inmates" just to be accepted and safe. Turning a normal young boy into a violent man.

Cases such as these should involve counseling and intensive rehabilitation, and as it appears this boy didn't truly want to commit this crime, he was an unwilling participant, (as far as the information provided tells me) it should be provided. So this boy doesn't become something else, something horrible to be in and out of prison his entire life because of this one incident.

Crazy law.

Originally posted by Brokenbackrest

Originally posted by JennaDarling

Wheras in European countries, especially Nordic Countries it is based more on Rehabilitation

Which is why we get things like the Norway shootings. Crime is crime, and a punishment must be harsh no matter how old the person is.

which are EXTREMELY RARE.

How often do you see shootiings in America?



There is no point in a punishment without a rehabilitiation side. Just look at all the Neo Nazis and gangs in American prisons.

reply to post by Brokenbackrest


Do you know him personally?

Originally posted by Snoopy1978
reply to post by Brokenbackrest

 

A preteen mind is very malleable. He can be reformed and as a civilized society it is our duty to do so.

Exactly. Well said.

Originally posted by Snoopy1978
reply to post by Brokenbackrest

 

A preteen mind is very malleable. He can be reformed and as a civilized society it is our duty to do so. No man or family is an island. Your primitive views on punishment should also be reformed. You are welcome to join us in the 21st century western society culture any time you feel like leaving your cave and goats. Good luck.

Your hand wringing liberalism is vile. An innocent man here was killed by this psychopath, he needs to be PUNISHED to set an example.

Originally posted by Brokenbackrest

Originally posted by Vitchilo

Originally posted by Brokenbackrest
He shot the man and tried to cover it up, now he will pay for his crimes. Good riddance. His family should lose all social security payments as well should they be getting any.

edit on 19-8-2011 by Brokenbackrest because: (no reason given)

You fail so much...

Paul Henry Gingerich is serving a prison sentence for the shooting that killed a friend’s step-father. Even though he didn’t pull the trigger — or know that he was going to be a part of the murder plot — Gingerich was sentenced to 30 years in jail.

Can't you read?

Even if he had pulled the triigger, the kid is freaking 12. He should go in jail for the rest of his life... he should be in counseling/rehabilitation... mental facility...

The kid is 12, you can still put him on the right track.

No, YOU fail so much, by falling for this little cretin's family propaganda. Of course they are going to say that he is innocent, never pulled the trigger, but the fact is, he is a little psychopath who needs to be kept locked up.

Until there is hard evidence that he was involved in pre-meditated murder you can't make that judgement.

Originally posted by Brokenbackrest

Originally posted by Snoopy1978
reply to post by Brokenbackrest

 

A preteen mind is very malleable. He can be reformed and as a civilized society it is our duty to do so. No man or family is an island. Your primitive views on punishment should also be reformed. You are welcome to join us in the 21st century western society culture any time you feel like leaving your cave and goats. Good luck.

Your hand wringing liberalism is vile. An innocent man here was killed by this psychopath, he needs to be PUNISHED to set an example.

And how do we know he was innocent? There wasn't enough information to draw any of the conclusions you have come to.