Jordan Brown case
Encyclopedia
The Jordan Brown case involves Jordan Anthony Brown (born 1998), who faces charges of shooting his father's fiancee, Kenzie Houk, with a youth-model 20-gauge shotgun, designed for youth use, that belonged to the boy. Houk was pregnant at the time and both she and her unborn fetus
died as a result of the attack. She was found in bed by her 4-year-old daughter, who alerted landscapers working near the home who called authorities. The crime is alleged to have been committed in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
, on February 20, 2009, when Brown was 11 years old. Because of the seriousness of the charge, first degree murder of a parent, his name was released.
The Honorable Judge Dominick Motto, a Lawrence County, Pennsylvania
Common Pleas Court Judge and the judge of first instance, initially ruled that he must be tried as an adult. The human-rights organization Amnesty International
has pointed out that this could result in a violation of international laws. The decision was sent to an appeals panel, Pennsylvania's Superior Court
, to decide if he was to be tried as an adult, facing the possibility of up to life incarceration (though life imprisonment, especially without parole, like the former use of the death penalty, is usually not done regarding serious juvenile crimes), or as a juvenile, where the law would normally require the state to set him free at the age of 21. On Tuesday, August 23, 2011, CNN wire staff reported that the Superior Court said that Judge Motto could not rule based on the boy's inability to take responsibility for his actions. Judge Motto then reversed his earlier decision to try Brown as an adult; no trial date has yet been set.
Fetus
A fetus is a developing mammal or other viviparous vertebrate after the embryonic stage and before birth.In humans, the fetal stage of prenatal development starts at the beginning of the 11th week in gestational age, which is the 9th week after fertilization.-Etymology and spelling variations:The...
died as a result of the attack. She was found in bed by her 4-year-old daughter, who alerted landscapers working near the home who called authorities. The crime is alleged to have been committed in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Pittsburgh is the second-largest city in the US Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Allegheny County. Regionally, it anchors the largest urban area of Appalachia and the Ohio River Valley, and nationally, it is the 22nd-largest urban area in the United States...
, on February 20, 2009, when Brown was 11 years old. Because of the seriousness of the charge, first degree murder of a parent, his name was released.
The Honorable Judge Dominick Motto, a Lawrence County, Pennsylvania
Lawrence County, Pennsylvania
Lawrence County is a county located in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. In 2010, its population was 91,108. The county was added to the Pittsburgh Metropolitan Statistical Area in 2003. The county seat is New Castle....
Common Pleas Court Judge and the judge of first instance, initially ruled that he must be tried as an adult. The human-rights organization Amnesty International
Amnesty International
Amnesty International is an international non-governmental organisation whose stated mission is "to conduct research and generate action to prevent and end grave abuses of human rights, and to demand justice for those whose rights have been violated."Following a publication of Peter Benenson's...
has pointed out that this could result in a violation of international laws. The decision was sent to an appeals panel, Pennsylvania's Superior Court
Superior Court of Pennsylvania
The Superior Court of Pennsylvania is one of two Pennsylvania intermediate appellate courts, the other being the Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania. Appeal to the Superior Court is generally of right from final decisions of the Court of Common Pleas...
, to decide if he was to be tried as an adult, facing the possibility of up to life incarceration (though life imprisonment, especially without parole, like the former use of the death penalty, is usually not done regarding serious juvenile crimes), or as a juvenile, where the law would normally require the state to set him free at the age of 21. On Tuesday, August 23, 2011, CNN wire staff reported that the Superior Court said that Judge Motto could not rule based on the boy's inability to take responsibility for his actions. Judge Motto then reversed his earlier decision to try Brown as an adult; no trial date has yet been set.