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How Young is Too Young For Life in Prison?
Aired September 02, 2003 - 15:39 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: How young is too young to face life behind bars? Well, that's the question being raised in Florida in the case of Lionel Tate. Sentenced to life for killing a playmate, Tate was just 14 years old when he was put in prison without any hope for parole.
Here's our John Zarrella.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JOHN ZARRELLA, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Life without parole. Lionel Tate was only 14 years old when on March 9, 2001, Judge Joel Lazarus (ph) imposed the mandatory.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Having been found guilty of murder in the first degree in the death of Tiffany Eunick, you're sentenced to incarceration for your natural life.
ZARRELLA: Tate's mother was babysitting the victim, 6-year-old Tiffany Eunick, but was upstairs napping when the girl was killed.
Throughout the trial, the defense maintained it was an accident, that Lionel was play-acting wrestling moves he saw on TV when Tiffany hit her head.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You first throw each other back this way and then threw each other forward.
LIONEL TATE, CONVICTED OF FIRST DEGREE MURDER: Yes, sir.
ZARRELLA: The defense entered a tape showing Lionel with a psychiatrist reenacting what happened.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: She hit this like this.
TATE: Yes, sir.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Now can you show me how she hit as best as you can remember?
TATE: She hit like this.
ZARRELLA: The defense also showed a commercial featuring a wrestler, arguing Tate didn't understand the difference between television and actual violence. But given the physical evidence and severity of the injuries to Tiffany Eunick, internal bruises, broken ribs, a shredded liver, the jurors did not buy the defense.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The defendant is guilty of murder in the first degree as charged in the indictment.
ZARRELLA: Tate's conviction brought immediately calls for leniency. One juror testified at a pre-sentencing hearing:
STEVE DANKNER, JUROR: I think we made the right verdict, I just think don't the sentencing is proper for a child.
ZARRELLA: The life sentence might have never been imposed. During the trial, Lionel and his mother were offered a plea deal -- three years in a juvenile home, one year house arrest and 10 years probation and counseling. The offer was rejected. Later Lionel's mother said she always believed her son would be acquitted.
John Zarrella, CNN, Miami.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Aired September 2, 2003 - 15:39 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: How young is too young to face life behind bars? Well, that's the question being raised in Florida in the case of Lionel Tate. Sentenced to life for killing a playmate, Tate was just 14 years old when he was put in prison without any hope for parole.
Here's our John Zarrella.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JOHN ZARRELLA, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Life without parole. Lionel Tate was only 14 years old when on March 9, 2001, Judge Joel Lazarus (ph) imposed the mandatory.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Having been found guilty of murder in the first degree in the death of Tiffany Eunick, you're sentenced to incarceration for your natural life.
ZARRELLA: Tate's mother was babysitting the victim, 6-year-old Tiffany Eunick, but was upstairs napping when the girl was killed.
Throughout the trial, the defense maintained it was an accident, that Lionel was play-acting wrestling moves he saw on TV when Tiffany hit her head.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You first throw each other back this way and then threw each other forward.
LIONEL TATE, CONVICTED OF FIRST DEGREE MURDER: Yes, sir.
ZARRELLA: The defense entered a tape showing Lionel with a psychiatrist reenacting what happened.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: She hit this like this.
TATE: Yes, sir.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Now can you show me how she hit as best as you can remember?
TATE: She hit like this.
ZARRELLA: The defense also showed a commercial featuring a wrestler, arguing Tate didn't understand the difference between television and actual violence. But given the physical evidence and severity of the injuries to Tiffany Eunick, internal bruises, broken ribs, a shredded liver, the jurors did not buy the defense.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The defendant is guilty of murder in the first degree as charged in the indictment.
ZARRELLA: Tate's conviction brought immediately calls for leniency. One juror testified at a pre-sentencing hearing:
STEVE DANKNER, JUROR: I think we made the right verdict, I just think don't the sentencing is proper for a child.
ZARRELLA: The life sentence might have never been imposed. During the trial, Lionel and his mother were offered a plea deal -- three years in a juvenile home, one year house arrest and 10 years probation and counseling. The offer was rejected. Later Lionel's mother said she always believed her son would be acquitted.
John Zarrella, CNN, Miami.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
