Qu’eed Batts was 14 when he committed a murder in Easton in 2006. He was in a gang at the time, and the gang ordered the killing. He was found guilty and sentenced to life in prison.
On Tuesday the Pennsylvania Supreme Court ruled that life-without-parole sentences for juveniles were unconstitutional. Batts will get a new sentence hearing with a minimum, but the irony is the sentence could be a minimum of 150 years.
The Morning Call ran a picture of Betts on the front page at the time of his initial sentencing. He was a child. He couldn’t vote, drive, sign contracts, buy beer, or join the army. He couldn’t quit school. He was not considered an adult for anything except a prison sentence.
Does anyone think that Batts at age 24 or 34 or 44 will be the same person he was as a 9th grader? Does anyone think a 14-year-old boy understands the consequences of his actions in an adult way?
At least one person does. The Northampton County First Deputy District Attorney Terrence Houck said, “I don’t think Batts should ever get out. He’s the poster boy for life in prison.”
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