Recommendations

In OCCA case No. J 2009-0091, C.C.S. appealed his conviction for robbery with a firearm. In an unpublished decision, the court decided to reverse the order of the lower court that had granted the State's motion to impose an adult sentence on C.C.S. and remanded the case for further proceedings with instructions to sentence C.C.S. as a Youthful Offender if he is convicted of the charged crimes. One judge dissented. C.C.S., who was born on December 28, 1990, faced multiple charges as a Youthful Offender. These included robbery with a firearm, possession of a firearm with a defaced serial number, and obstructing an officer. The State requested that C.C.S. be sentenced as an adult. After a hearing, a judge decided C.C.S. should be tried as an adult for the robbery charge. C.C.S. then appealed, and the case came before the Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals. During a hearing on April 30, 2009, the court listened to arguments and took time to think about the case. The court determined that the trial court had made a mistake by deciding to treat C.C.S. as an adult. The ruling meant that if C.C.S. was found guilty, he should be treated and sentenced as a Youthful Offender according to the law. This result was based on the idea that the law aims to help young people rehabilitate rather than punish them like adults. The judges in the dissent expressed their disagreement with the majority opinion. They believed that the trial judge had made a reasonable decision based on the facts of the case. They felt that the judge had thought carefully about what would be best for C.C.S., considering his age and the nature of the charges against him. The dissenting opinion also pointed out concerns about how the ruling would work, especially because C.C.S. was almost 18 at the time of the decision and nearly 18.5 years old by the time the case was decided. They referred to specific laws about how young offenders should be treated and raised questions about whether C.C.S. would still be eligible for a Youthful Offender program given his age during the legal proceedings. Overall, the court’s decision aimed to ensure that young people like C.C.S. would have the opportunity for rehabilitation instead of simply being punished as adults for their actions. The focus was on providing a chance for a better future rather than imposing adult penalties.