Street roots., April 01, 2016, Page 7, Image 7

Street Roots • April 1-7, 2016
JUVENILE, from page 5
News
students and went out of his way to help a
classmate with Down syndrome.
The authors stated that given a second
about Bullitt and his friends’ arrest online,
chance, there was reason to believe the boys
including their full names and mug shots.
could correct their behavior and that trying
Bullitt said he smiled, out of habit, for his
them as adults and locking them up for the
mug shot, but police instructed him not to
rest of their
before taking the
adolescence was not
picture.
the best approach.
“Now for these kids
"When people were com­
“When people were
moving forward,”
ing out of the woodwork to
coming out of the
Singh said, “anyone
woodwork to show
can just Google search show their support, I knew it
their support, I knew
their names and that’s was serious," said Ballin's
going to be there,
mother, Melita. "I knew it was it was serious,” said
Bullitt’s mother,
these stories about
unjust. I have not learned a
them. To me that’s the good lesson throughout this. I Melita. Before the
incident, she wasn’t
most ridiculous part
have learned a hard lesson." > aware of Measure 11,
about it, this idea that
and was shocked her
we’re treating kids as
son was being tried as
adults and then they
an adult for his first
get stigmatized the
offense.
same way as adults do with these
“I knew it was unjust,” she said. “I have
convictions, not recognizing that kids do
not learned a good lesson throughout this. I
make mistakes, and that kids change and
have learned a hard lesson.”
grow and become adults.”
Bullitt was the teacher’s assistant in his
Nearly 70 testimonials submitted to the
high school dance class, where he helped
court in this case, obtained by Street Roots,
instruct beginners, before his arrest He
painted a picture of four boys who came
dances in many styles - contemporary, jazz,
from caring and attentive families. These
hip hop and ballet - and he often takes a
were kids who, the letter writers said, had
lead role in choreographed school
talents and productive interests, but who
performances.
had a terrible lapse in their teenage
Grant High School administrators decided
judgment
Bullitt could return to school with a safety
The bulk of the letters were in support of
plan before the district attorney decided he
Bullitt and Cabrera. According to their
could return to society by offering him a
contents, Cabrera was a mentor to kids at
plea deal. But he has missed more than a
Sunnyside Environmental School, where
month of school and will no longer be
children were “visibly” distraught over news
allowed to be the dance teacher’s TA, a
of his arrest He was noticed by educators
decision his mother said disappointed him,
as a student who reached out to new or shy
Page 7
Measure 10 amended the Oregon
Constitution to require that any change to a
voter-passed sentencing law must get a two-
thirds majority in both the House and the
Senate.
McKechnie’s organization, along with
but he’s glad to finally be back in school
Partnership for Safety and Justice, Oregon
following spring break.
ACLU and others, has advocated for Oregon
He might dance professionally one day,
to stop automatically trying 15-, 16- and
but what he really wants to be is a
17-year-olds as adults in Measure 11 cases
veterinarian, he said, because he likes
and roll back some of the mandatory
animals - hardly the sentiment of a
minimums that take away all power from
hardened criminal, said his grandfather,
judges to weigh an individual’s history and
Fred Nemo.
circumstances when doling out a sentence.
In a voluntary letter that he asked police
“Until there’s a clear level of support on
to give to his victim, Bullitt concluded: “I
both sides of the aisle, these issues aren’t
apologize with all my heart, and I want to
going to come up for a clear up or down
you know that I’m not just writing this letter vote. I think it would take more votes from
to get out of trouble, but I actually want you
the Republican side than there have been in
to have a good time in high school without
the last few years to get it passed,” he said.
having to worry about bullies and thieves.
Polling suggests, however, that the
I’m sorry.”
Oregon voters are favorable to making some
While these traits and a letter of apology
changes to Measure 11, he said, and victims
don’t excuse Bullitt’s behavior, his teachers
and law enforcement groups are split on
and family believe he’s demonstrated
whether it should change.
potential for being able to contribute to
A ballot measure campaign, however,
society in a positive way, but they feared
would require major funding because a lot of
that potential could be eroded with a felony
money will come from the opposition, he
record or long prison sentence, when
said, which historically has been Crime
juvenile court would have sufficed.
Victims United and Oregon District
In 2013, a bill that would have required a
Attorneys Association.
hearing to see if the case should be waived
This means that until changes are made
back to juvenile court every time a
to the law, youths will continue to be
prosecutor charged a minor as an adult died
charged as adults in counties, such as
in committee.
Multnomah, where district attorneys
“We have made various efforts to try to
commonly use Measure 11 in juvenile cases.
change Measure 11 in different ways and
If the trends of the past 30 years hold
have not had any success,” McKechnie said.
steady, it will continue to disproportionately
“The No. 1 barrier to getting anything done
affect Juds
p \ \\ \ \V va \\ \
has been Measure 10, which passed the ,
emily@streetroots.org
same time.”
For more on impact of Measure 11
charges on youths, see Andy Ko’s
commentary tor Partnership for Safety
and Justice, page 12.