lionel tate

remember him?

Tate was 12 in 1999 when he killed Tiffany Eunick, whom his mother was baby-sitting. He initially claimed he accidentally killed the girl while imitating professional wrestling moves he had seen on television. But prosecutors said the girl was brutally beaten to death.



An appeals court threw out Tate's first-degree murder conviction last year, ruling he might not have understood the criminal proceedings against him.

this case is what made me passionate about juvenile transfer...this is the case that prompted me to write my thesis on the topic [titled 'Crossing the Line: Juvenile Transfer and Prison Violence' btw]. well, he's now 17 and he was arrested for carrying a pocket knife and therefore violating his probation. he could be sentenced to life [again] for this. if that happens, some heads are going to roll. i'll have to write some letters. make some calls. take a trip to Florida...something. it's insane.