John's parents not only physically and mentally abused him and his siblings, but also abused all of the family pets. John's learned to withdraw from the family in attempts to avoid contact with his abusive parents

Question

He secretly hated them not only for the abusive acts, but also because they were constantly intoxicated from drugs or alcohol. John's habitual withdrawal interfered with his studies and involvement in school events as well. However, peer pressure had little impact until he started high school. During his second year in high school, two high school bullies victimized John during school. John skipped school the next day, but showed up as the two bullies headed toward the school bus waiting to take them home. John runs up to the bullies, pulls out a .45 caliber semi-automatic pistol he had stolen from his father's bedroom, and shoots the bullies until the weapon is empty. Both of the bullies were killed. Analyze John's childhood history and compare his actions against the bullies to the abuse he endured throughout his childhood. Does John have any form of defense against prosecution? Why or why not? Being a sophomore in high school, John would be about 16 years old. Would the courts try him as a juvenile or an adult?

Answer 1

Analysis of John's emotional trauma built up over the past 16 years; the apparent hatred for any form of abuse; juvenile versus adult court jurisdiction; all of the relevant juvenile waivers.
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