Court Opinion

ID: 9787420
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-31 00:16:10.919891+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T07:36:55.764108
License: Public Domain

CHAPEL, Judge,
Dissenting:
T1 Barely 15, Michael Cipriano shot and killed his girlfriend, Candice Kerschner, another 15 year old child. Prior to committing this crime, Cipriano had never before been arrested or charged with any crime.
12 Under Oklahoma law, a child age 15 who commits the crime of First Degree Murder is charged as an adult. After being so charged an accused may file an application to be treated as a child within the juvenile system or as a youthful offender. Cipriano filed both. After a hearing, the trial court denied his motions for certification as a child or youthful offender and he was ordered to stand trial as an adult. Under our statutes such orders are appealable to this Court. Cipriano filed an appeal from the trial court's order and this Court, by the slimmest of margins, a 3 to 2 vote, affirmed the trial court's order.
T3 Thus the stage was set for Cipriano's trial as an adult and resulting life without parole sentence. It is my opinion that the denial of youthful offender status to Cipriano constitutes a violation of his federal constitutional rights under the 5th and 14th Amendments. Moreover, his sentence in my judgment, violates the 8th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution and Article 2, § 9 of the Oklahoma Constitution.
T4 The Youthful Offender Act was adopted by the Oklahoma legislature specifically to apply to children such as Cipriano. He was barely 15 years old when he committed the crime; he is emotionally and psychologically immature; he is learning disabled and functioned several years below his peers; he has strong family support; he had never before been in any kind of legal trouble; and the evidence in support of his motion for youthful offender status was overwhelming and essentially unrebutted. Even the Oklahoma Juvenile Affairs Youthful Offender Study apparently recommended that he be retained in the juvenile system. If this child does not meet the requirements for youthful offender status, no child ever will. Sentencing him to life without parole is quite simply hideous and a travesty of justice.