MILWAUKEE — Another teen has been charged in connection to stealing a Kia that crashed into a bus and two vehicles at Morse middle school.
We spoke to a criminal defense attorney Jonathan LaVoy who looked into these cases. He is not connected to this case.
We are not able to see the name or age of the second teen charged with ‘operating a motor vehicle without owner’s consent.’ But if they are under 15 like the driver, LaVoy says the current charges against them are not strong enough to charge them as an adult.
The driver who we are not naming because of his age is charged with five felonies:
- First-degree reckless injury
- Hit and run - great bodily harm
- First-degree recklessly endangering safety
- Second-degree recklessly endangering safety
- Drive or operate a vehicle without owner’s consent
“This video was shocking,” said LaVoy, who does not represent either defendant.
But LaVoy says if the teen's charges stick in juvenile court, they’ll likely spend up to a year behind bars. “Even kids that are involved in serious criminal offenses like sexual assaults or those types of things get one year," said LaVoy.
As for if these charges could be referred to adult court, LaVoy says, “14-year-olds can only be waived in adult court under very limited circumstances, which include homicides.”
Court records show prosecutors may file additional charges against the teen driver, because there is worry the condition of the front seat passenger could turn grave. Court records show right now he, "remains in a medically induced coma" and "sustained a crushed skull fractured arm and brain bleed that required surgery."
LaVoy says Juvenile court is less about punishment and more about rehabilitation, but worries there are not enough resources available to help, and this may just keep happening. “There's just not a lot of programs available other than locking him up in Lincoln Hills. Very few juveniles go there because judges don't wanna send kids to that environment," according to LaVoy.
LaVoy points out there is a ‘serious juvenile defender’ option, where a judge could order a child to be held for up to five years, but the charges currently against both defendants still do not even qualify for that right now.
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