Bradley Wright, age 14, Virginia

Concerned Citizens in Virginia and Nationwide request oversight concerning the decision by Hampton, Virginia Deputy Commonwealth Attorney Romeo Lumaban, to sidestep a Juvenile Court Judges determination that 14-year-old Bradley Wright did not commit felony murder in a freak joyriding accident.

Bradley, who had turned fourteen four months before the accident, stole a car with another juvenile and lost control of the vehicle running off the road and into a house killing the occupant.

Last week, the Juvenile Court dismissed the felony murder count for lack of evidence, because the prosecutor failed to show the relationship between the car theft and the collision.

Angered by the Juvenile Judges decision, Deputy Commonwealth Attorney Romeo Lumaban took the case to a grand jury, which almost always accepts the prosecutors theory of a case, and lacks the underlying legal qualifications to understand complicated arguments related to the application of the law.

Citizens are opposed to forum shopping and overcharging or bootstrapping in juvenile cases by overzealous prosecutors.

It is obvious that this child did not intend to harm anyone and the accident was caused by his very status as a juvenile he is years away from obtaining his drivers license and clearly lacked the experience necessary for properly handling an automobile.

Ironically, Deputy Commonwealth Attorney Romeo Lumaban stated, "The fact is that you had a 14-year-old behind the wheel with no driving experience. You now have an individual who is in possession of a weapon."

Concerned citizens would argue that an adult who has had driving lessons and significant experience on the road would be much more culpable than an unlicensed child under the circumstances.

Citizens of the Commonwealth of Virginia and Nationwide believe that lack of knowledge and ability equals less culpability, not more.

If found guilty as an adult, Bradley will face physical and emotional abuse at the hands of dangerous adult felons. It is wrong to send young boys to prison to be used by the pedophiles and violent offenders housed there.

The juvenile system is well-equipped to handle 14 year olds who make foolish decisions based on emotional immaturity that result in accidentally killing someone in a freakish accident. Also, we think that prosecutors in Hampton, Va. have the same responsibility as everywhere else in the nation, and should show the proper level of respect for juvenile court judges and their legal decision making process.

If the prosecutor disagreed with the judges decision and thought that his case had merit, he would have appealed the decision. Instead, he took the "Easy Win Path" by going to the grand jury. He can now terrorize the boy into a plea bargain that will likely destroy the rest of the childs life.

Concerned citizens respectfully request immediate action by Commonwealth's Attorney, Linda Duggan Curtis to resend this indictment and allow fair justice to work for Bradley Wright who can be rehabilitated and can provide restitution, should he be found guilty of committing this crime.

Justice denied anywhere diminishes justice everywhere, -- Martin Luther King Jr.