Baltimore City state's attorney slams juvenile justice reform law after deadly crash: "This is not OK"
Baltimore City State's Attorney Ivan Bates is once again criticizing a 2022 juvenile justice reform law that he says has his hands tied when it comes to prosecuting a 12-year-old boy who allegedly stole a car and struck and killed a 69-year-old man on a motorcycle.
The deadly crash happened last week at the intersection of N. Dukeland Street and W. North Avenue in West Baltimore. Bates noted it was 1 p.m., when the boy should have been in school.
Surveillance video showed the stolen Kia approach the intersection, drive around another vehicle that was stopped at a red light, then crash into the motorcycle, driven by 69-year-old Barry Wright Sr., of Baltimore County. About 10 seconds after the crash, the 12-year-old was seen running away from the smoking vehicle, along with a 15-year-old female passenger.
They were both taken into custody a week later, and the girl was transported to the Juvenile Justice Center. Because of the boy's age, police said they submitted a Child in Need of Supervision (CINS) referral and met with the Department of Juvenile Services about his case.
Bates on Thursday said the boy "had prior contact with the juvenile system" and was already under DJS supervision.
"Am I upset, am I angry? I'm hurt and I'm very frustrated. I keep knocking my head against the wall, and nobody's listening. And, unfortunately, now we have another individual who's lost their life at the hands of a juvenile," Bates said in a news conference.
Bates calls out 2022 law
Bates said the 2022 law prevents his office from charging suspects under the age of 13 with certain crimes, including involuntary manslaughter in this case.
"There's nothing that we can do to hold this young person responsible for the death of Mr. Wright. That is unbelievable and it should be infuriating to all the residents across Maryland," he said.
"We're not asking for jail. We're asking for accountability," he added. "That could be programs, that could be services, that could be a whole lot of things. But we can't even have that conversation, because the General Assembly decided that we were not going to be able to prosecute involuntary manslaughter. Let that sink in."
Bates said breaking the news to Wright's family was the "most difficult conversation I have ever had on this job."
"I have said many times before, but it warrants repeating, because here we are again -- I take no pleasure or joy ever holding our young people accountable," he said. "But it really hurts when having to speak to a family after their loved one has been killed, and it makes things even more difficult to have to tell them that there will, essentially, be no one held responsible or accountable for their loved one's loss of life."
He also said this is not a one-off incident, pointing to three other recent crashes involving juvenile suspects in stolen vehicles.
"We have to realize this is not normal, this is not OK in our society," said Bates.
On Sept. 24, four teens in a stolen Hyundai Elantra crashed into an MTA bus in East Baltimore, sending themselves and 12 others on the bus to the hospital.
On Aug. 4, a 13-year-old in a stolen Kia struck and killed William Vance Payne II, a 58-year-old father of five who was on his way to work at the time.
On June 20, a 14-year-old in another stolen car killed 3-year-old Jordan Bright in a hit-and-run on West Pratt Street near South Monroe Street. Bright's family spoke out after the driver was sentenced in Juvenile Court, frustrated they could not discuss the details of the case or the punishment handed down.
Message from the victim's family
Bates also read a message from the Wright family, since they will not be given the opportunity to deliver a victim impact statement.
"I lost my father to a senseless, merciless crime, an act of violence that tore apart the very fabric of my family's life. My siblings and I have lost a steady anchor we once had, that unbreakable cornerstone that held us together," the statement from Wright's son, Barry Wright, Jr., read in part.
The statement added their mother lost her love of more than 45 years, while their aunts and uncles lost a beloved brother.
"The world has lost a truly great man. A man whose kindness, integrity and strength touched everyone fortunate enough to know him," the statement continued.
The family called the situation a "gut wrenching injustice."
"This so-called juvenile justice reform law shields the perpetrators at the expense of the victims. It's a betrayal. It's a system that absolves the aggressor and condemns the injured," the statement continued. "When someone commits a crime, they must be held accountable. But instead, far too many victims are left broken - their pain dismissed and their suffering amplified by the laws that empower criminals and silence their victims."
