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Article: Shackled juveniles will be debated at General Meeting.
- Article from:
- Florida Bar News
- Article date:
- September 1, 2006
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2006 Florida Bar. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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The girl was only 3-foot-7-inches tall and 11 years old, but she was shackled as she was led to juvenile court at Tallahassee's Leon County Courthouse.
Not just handcuffs, but a belly chain connected to both handcuffs and to leg irons--usually reserved for adults who are flight risks or charged with first-degree murder.
Carlos Martinez, chief assistant public defender for Miami-Dade's 11th Circuit, watched from the spectators' seats and was shocked by what he saw.
"It's horrific. It's an affront to our decency. It doesn't matter if it's a misdemeanor. If the child is detained by the Department of Juvenile Justice, the child will be brought in ...