"If this case remains in juvenile court, the shooter will face at most three to five years in a secure juvenile facility. I don't believe that is sufficient in this case," Rosen said during a press conference Wednesday morning outside the county's Juvenile Center in San José. He said a sentence of several years wouldn't allow enough time for meaningful rehabilitation."
"said reverting to "tough on crime" laws would only breed more crime in communities and that teenagers and children need to be treated as such. "We don't hold legally enforceable contracts between juveniles and adults when it comes to making payments for an apartment or a mortgage or a car. We don't permit juveniles to purchase alcohol or firearms or to even vote, because we don't presume that they have the capacity to truly understand the significance of their acts," Woods said."
South Bay prosecutors have asked a judge to move the case of a 17-year-old suspect in a Black Friday Westfield Valley Fair mall shooting to adult court, seeking harsher penalties. The shooting, described as gang-motivated, injured three people. Santa Clara County District Attorney Jeff Rosen said juvenile sentences of three to five years are insufficient and would not allow adequate time for meaningful rehabilitation. San José State lecturer Greg Woods warned that returning to "tough on crime" policies could fuel more crime and emphasized that juveniles lack capacities granted to adults. Local leaders expressed interest in investing in youth intervention programs like the San José Youth Empowerment Alliance.
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