Indiana child re-sentenced for murder: A sign of juvenile justice reform?
Paul Gingerich was 12 years old when he helped fatally shoot a friend's stepfather in a small Indiana town about 45 miles northwest of Fort Wayne. The boys had planned to flee to Arizona or California after the ambush, but both were caught, convicted, and sentenced to 25 years in prison.
The case sparked outrage from child welfare advocates because Mr. Gingerich, now 18, is believed to be the youngest person in Indiana history to be sentenced in an adult court. More than five years later, the case has spurred reforms that are part of a nationwide shift in how America mets out juvenile justice – and mercy.
