offenders

in reforming the juvenile justice system by implementing policies and

procedures that will harm juveniles and place society at risk.

On July 23, 1995, an intruder brutally attacked and stabbed Janet

Downing approximately 100 times in her Somerville home. The revolting

Downing murder and ensuing arrest of Edward O'Brien Jr., a 15-year-old

juvenile whom prosecutors say committed the heinous crime, sent

shockwaves through the state. When Somerville District Court Judge Paul

P. Hefferman ruled that the Commonwealth try Mr. O'Brien as a juvenile,

those shockwaves grew in intensity, and the citizens of Massachusetts,

fed up with increasing youth violence and perceptions of an ineffective

juvenile justice system, demanded the enactment of tough new laws to

deal with repeat and violent juvenile offenders. The Great and General

Court of Massachusetts headed these demands for reform of the juvenile

justice system and enacted legislation that, among other things,

abolishes the trial de novo system in the juvenile courts, requires the

trial of juveniles charged with murder, manslaughter, aggravated rape,

forcible rape of a child, kidnaping, assault

. . .
Some common words found in the essay are:
WITNESSES Proponents, Reform Act, Youth Services, Currently Massachusetts, Court Massachusetts, HARMFUL STIGMATIZATION, Massachusetts Court, Lake City, juvenile justice, Paul Hefferman, de novo, justice system, juvenile justice system, novo system, de novo system, adult sentence, Services Commonwealth, juvenile justice reform, trial system, justice reform, reform act, proceedings public, justice reform act, victims witnesses, seek adult sentence,
Approximate Word count = 2941
Approximate Pages = 12 (250 words per page double spaced)