In a matter of days, the Change.org campaign to have 12 year old Christian Fernandez tried as a juvenile in Florida has grown from 10,000 to over 160,000. Supporters all over the world have been asking Angela Corey to try Cristian as a juvenile, and above all else, ensure that he is not sent to an adult prison facility. They have been hopeful and confident that Corey will do the right thing. And they might just be right.
Corey has recently stated that Fernandez will not serve life in prison and that he will serve his sentence in a juvenile facility. He will not stand trial, and a plea deal is expected to be worked out soon.
In early March, Cristian was left alone with his two year-old half-brother David, despite having broken David’s leg a year prior. While the two boys were alone, Cristian allegedly pushed his brother against a bookcase, and David sustained a head injury. After their mother returned home, she waited six hours before taking David to the hospital, where he eventually died.
In addition to the 160,000 people who joined the Change.org campaign, sign-on letter aimed at Corey has been started by The Children's Campaign, a Florida non-profit organization that advocates for the rights of children. The letter has been signed by hundreds of individuals, organizations and churches including:
•Youth Crisis Center, Jacksonville
•Florida Juvenile Justice Association
•Gray Memorial United Methodist Church
•Communities in Schools, Jacksonville
•National Council on Crime and Delinquency Center for Girls and Young Women
•Paul McClintock, Department of Juvenile Justice, Board Chair C 6
•Children's Movement of Florida
•Youth Advocate Programs, INC
Despite only being 12 and having lived a life of neglect, physical, and sexual abuse, State Attorney Angela Corey is charging him as an adult. If convicted, Fernandez could face a maximum penalty of life in adult prison without the possibility of parole.
It's also clear that Corey, who is an elected official, was hearing the concerns of those who joined the Change.org campaign. She had some strong words for them:
"Quite frankly, I resent people who don't know anything about this case espousing opinions without knowing all of the facts and circumstances," said Corey.
"They're looking at it as a social issue. But my obligation is clear: I am the chief prosecutor on this circuit and it is my job to enforce the laws that exist on this book. NOT to respond to petitions, and not to try and legislate," she said.
A new pre-trial hearing date of October, 31 has been set for Cristian.
http://news.change.org/stories/12-year-old-cristian-fernandez-wont-spend-life-in-prison-160000-join-campaign