Alleged 14-Year-Old Cop Killer Can’t Be Tried as Adult in NJ — Handing Him All Sorts of Perks: Expert
He’s accused of killing a Newark cop — but he won’t be tried in public and likely won’t even serve out a 20-year sentence if convicted.
That’s because the suspected triggerman is a 14-year-old boy — and in New Jersey, the courts won’t move kids of that age up to criminal court, no matter how heinous their crimes.
“The state statute requires somebody to be 15 years old to treat it as an adult case,” said Laura Sutnick, a criminal defense lawyer and president of the Bergen County Bar Association, to The Post on Sunday.
“But if you’re 14, you can’t be waived to adult court.”
One year in age may not seem like much, but it will make a world of difference for the unidentified teen, who’s been charged with murder for allegedly gunning down 26-year-old Detective Joseph Azcona with an automatic weapon Friday night on a Brick City street corner. (Read more from “Alleged 14-Year-Old Cop Killer Can’t Be Tried as Adult in NJ — Handing Him All Sorts of Perks: Expert” HERE)
