Wiley verdict should not send wrong message
It was difficult not to be a little bit surprised by the verdict released by Juvenile Court Judge Donna Scott earlier this week.
Judge Scott declared 15-year-old Brandon Wiley was ready to be released from a juvenile institution on Monday and into the custody of his mother. The decision comes almost exactly three months after the teen left his father with skull fractures after hitting him in the head with a hammer.
The Standard only hopes such a decision doesn’t send the wrong message. By letting Wiley go without much more than a slap on the wrist, we hope other teens don’t think it’s now acceptable to assault their parents.
Granted, the Standard doesn’t know what went on in the Wiley household. The newspaper doesn’t know what kind of turmoil may have existed there and what sort of circumstances could have pushed the teen to grab a hammer and suddenly attack.
What we do know is a court in Warren County found Brandon Wiley guilty of landing two hammer blows to the head of his father, Dr. Gregory Wiley. After spending three months in juvenile custody for that act, Wiley is now free to live with his mother.
As terms of his release, Brandon Wiley will remain on probation and have to perform public service work. A heavy dose of counseling needs to be included in that sentence.
As it stands now, Brandon Wiley could very well think it’s OK to handle difficult situations with violence. And there’s no reason for him not to think that way.
A rundown of events goes like this: Brandon Wiley attacked his dad. He was found guilty in court. He spent three months in juvenile custody and was then given permission to go live with his mother.
So where’s the punishment?
It’s important to remember Wiley is a juvenile and the rules of our judicial system are different for offenders under 18. Right or wrong, juveniles are often pampered and not given very stiff penalties.
As a society, there should be a certain amount of leniency when it comes to handling juvenile cases. But we should not forget there should still be punishment.
During the Wiley case, Judge Scott made the comment that the juvenile court system should cater to the welfare of the child. While that may be true, we can’t forget there are laws in this country. And even juveniles can’t be given a free ride.
With any luck, this court ruling won’t rub off on the rest of this community. Hopefully around 1,700 students at the high school don’t suddenly think they can attack one of their parents with a weapon and walk away free just three months later.
Brandon Wiley especially needs some intense counseling and guidance. If a violent rage has him attacking his father at 15, there’s no telling what he could do later in life if he doesn’t find a way to better manage his anger.