Nancy Grace: Fix flaws in juvenile justice system
By Nancy Grace
CNN
Editor's Note: Nancy Grace debuts on CNN.com's Law Center with "Seeking Justice" to coincide with her hour-long CNN Headline News program, "Nancy Grace," which starts Monday, February 21, at 8 p.m. A former prosecutor who compiled a perfect record with more than 100 wins while serving in the Atlanta Fulton County district attorney's office, Grace turned to the law after the random murder of her fiance. Grace, an outspoken advocate of victims' rights, will be tackling some of today's most controversial legal issues on air and online. "Seeking Justice" is interactive. She invites a public dialogue. You can respond to Grace by sending comments to "Nancy Grace."
 |  Christopher Pittman reacts to the jury finding him guilty of murder. |
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 We go inside the investigation of Stephen Barbee in the strangulations of Lisa Underwood and her son. Tune in Wednesday at 8 p.m. ET on Headline News.
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(CNN) -- This week in America's courtrooms we have seen tragedy all around. I'm not referring to Michael Jackson's flulike symptoms that brought jury selection to a halt or to Robert Blake's crying jag in front of the jury.
I witnessed two family tragedies. The first was in the South Carolina prosecution of Christopher Pittman, 15, who was convicted for shooting his grandparents to death in their sleep. Motive? They threatened to discipline him, prosecutors say. He was 12 at the time.
The second was in the Idaho trial of 18-year-old Sarah Johnson, accused of shooting her parents dead with a .264 Winchester Magnum rifle. Why? Because they didn't approve of her boyfriend, an undocumented immigrant, prosecutors say. She was 16 when her parents were slain.
The killing of one's parents or grandparents is rare and should serve to highlight the flaws in the juvenile justice system. Having tried juveniles for murder in adult court, I know there are no easy answers. Prosecutors are left with the tough choice of sending a violent criminal to "juvey justice hall," where they may get a sentence as light as being forced to write an essay about what they did wrong, or sending a minor to jail for life. As I said, no easy answers.
Pittman received a sentence of 30 years to life. Johnson's fate will rest with a jury. Along with the rest of you legal eagles, I am transfixed by these two cases and cases like them.
But I can think of one group not listening at all -- local politicians. The juvenile justice system offers neither long-term jail time for violent offenders nor extended rehabilitation that maybe could turn some young lives around.
I hope that the politicians in our state legislatures read about these two trials and others like them, and are spurred on to take their jobs seriously and act. Act not only to protect the innocent from junior predators but to help save the juvenile offenders who can be rehabilitated.
Mr. or Ms. Representative, are you listening?
Seeking justice,
Nancy Grace
The opinions expressed in this commentary are those of Nancy Grace.
