North Carolina

Jeff W.:
Jeff was a normal 17-year-old kid who made one mistake that would haunt him for the rest of his life. In an attempt to impress a girl he liked, he purchased marijuana for her on three separate occasions, and she paid him back for it. He did not profit from the deal, and it was more a friendly exchange than a sale. When she revealed that she was an undercover police officer, Jeff found himself being tried as an adult for a felony. Taking pity on him, the judge allowed Jeff to get away with a reduced sentence. Still, the felony conviction prevented Jeff from receiving financial aid for college, and prevented him from joining the Air Force, as he had planned. He currently works full time while attending community college in order to one day own his own IT business.

James O.:
James was a promising high school student who had hoped his basketball abilities could secure him a college scholarship. Unfortunately, at age 17 he was caught selling marijuana to an undercover police officer posing as a student. All the recruiters who had promised him scholarships backed out, and he was facing a future without college. After James pled for a second chance, Oklahoma State investigated James’s basketball abilities and his character. They found that he was truly remorseful for his actions and had learned from his mistakes. He was accepted into Oklahoma State and in November 2004 played his first game with them.

James:
James came from a good family but struggled in school. When he faced failing grades in his freshman year, his parents got him a tutor for home-schooling. This tutor, a 38-year-old woman, initiated a sexual relationship with James and promoted him from the ninth grade without making him do any work. James then became addicted to drugs when he used them after a knee surgery. He turned to crime to pay for his habit, committing burglaries and robberies. In 2001, an accomplice for one robbery shot and killed two teenagers. James was convicted of felony murder and is now serving two life sentences without possibility of parole. While he believes he should be held accountable for his actions, James feels the punishment is too heavy for a child.

Andre G.:
In 1994, Andre was 13 years old when he broke into a neighbor’s apartment and assaulted a 23-year-old woman. Charged with attempted first-degree rape and first-degree burglary, Andre became one of the youngest people in the country to be tried as an adult. If he had committed the crime only a few months later, changes in the laws would have greatly reduced his sentence, but at the time first-degree sexual offenses had a mandatory life sentence. His family is now trying to raise enough money to appeal the decision.