Boy accused of murder pleads not guilty

A 12-year-old Tampa boy accused of murdering his newborn cousin appeared in court Friday in Atlanta, entering the courtroom in a jumpsuit and shackles. Juvenile Court Judge A. Gregory Poole explained to the child why he was there. “What I’m going to do is read these charges to you. I don’t want you to answer anything out loud. I’m not going to ask you any questions about that. I’m just going to read them to you,” Judge Poole said. The boy is charged with murder and cruelty to children. Police say Saturday outside Target Store in Marietta, Georgia the boy murdered his infant cousin, a 5-week-old girl named Millan. “You did violate the law for what’s called murder, which is a felony. A felony means it’s a big deal,” the judge told the boy. Police say the baby’s mother, who is the boy’s aunt, left the kids alone in the car while she was in the store. An autopsy

ruled the newborn died from blunt force trauma. In court, the 12-year-old pleaded not guilty. Psychologist Dr. Sidney Merin says the child’s history is all-important in this case. “If the history of the 12-year-old includes spanking, aggressive behavior, destructiveness by adults around the 12-year-old, then the 12-year-old is going to pick this up as a way of dealing with problems of this sort.” The Tampa boy was spending the summer with relatives in Georgia. Now, he’s in custody charged as a juvenile. Under Georgia law, the maximum penalty for a juvenile is two years in a detention center. However, the Cobb County District Attorney wants to see the boy get more than that if convicted because of the severity of the crime. The 12-year-old’s trial is scheduled to start August 17th or 18th. In the meantime, he will remain in custody.  

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Boy accused of murder pleads not guilty

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