By TChris

Lionel Tate -- the 16 year old boy who, at the age of 14, became the youngest person ever sentenced to life in prison -- signed a plea agreement that, if approved by the court, should cause Lionel to be released from detention this month. The agreement is similar to one that Lionel rejected before his trial. A Florida appellate court reversed Lionel's first degree murder conviction after concluding that Lionel's competence to understand the proceedings should have been evaluated prior to his trial. Talkleft has written about Lionel's case here and here.

The agreement calls upon Lionel to plead guilty to the lesser charge of second degree murder in exchange for a recommended sentence of three years in detention (almost all of which Lionel has already served), a year of house arrest and 10 years of probation. During his trial, Lionel's defense contended that Lionel inflicted injuries accidentally while imitating wrestling moves that he had seen on television. Given the risk that the defense might fail in a second trial and that Lionel might lose his freedom for the rest of his life, signing the agreement was the right choice. Offering Lionel an agreement that recognized the difference between a child's immature decisionmaking and an adult's calculated intent was also the right choice.