My take on this "armed robbery" is based entirely upon the reports from this newspaper. I know that armed robbery is a minimum 10 year sentence and possible life imprisonment.

I also know burglary, drug possession, underage drinking are also very serious crimes. So how did the Court treat the son of the Parents that called the Police Department NAZI's.

These both were serious crimes requiring serious repercussions. But I suggest you wait for judgment to pass until the system makes a detailed summary of what each of these young boys/men did and what is needed.

The best way to diminish crime in this county is to reinforce the zoning ordinances and to stop the apartment complexes. Crime fosters in these complexes where absent and often single parents (who were often kids themselves when they had children) allow their children to be raised by the hip hop pop culture whose values of music/drugs/violence/vandalism/desperation encourages this type of behavior. Songs which state "lets cap a cop" or impregnate as many women as possible, aren't strong family values, instead it helps to destroy the family.

Peachtree City's low crime rate has more to do with the strong two parent families who are involved in their children's lives and who encourage respect for our laws. It also encourges a respect for the officers that where the badge, and who do not make excuses for their children when they do go awry by blaming the cops as being Nazi's.

Seize the Day in Peachtree City

Okay carpe,
It sounds like you're assuming the perps are from one of the apt. complexes, and have a single mom. Why? Some of the worst behaved kids I know in PTC live in the most expensive subdivisions. Know some bad ones in the apts. too. One of the best Scouts in my son's Boy Scout troop is heading for Eagle, and oh my goodness, he lives in Harmony Village with his single mom, and guess what, his brother is already an Eagle!!! Money or lack of doesn't make you a criminal. In case you've forgotten, President Carter's grandson, since you chose to bring up the case, is in a 2 parent home, upper income, and setting a great example for his little brother. He had all the advantages growing up, and then some. The cases are different in respects to the armed part, among other things, and that is a huge difference!!!

Mom to 3, plus a few strays

Our District Attorney ----I totally agree with Leoah’s comments. It was ok for Ballard and his “Daddy” to be lawyers representing criminal defendants. No fault with that. But being our District Attorney means putting those liberal politics out with the trash.

When Ballard became DA he needed to shed his bleeding heart sympathy for criminals, perverts and drug dealers. His job is to lock them up. If he wants to be a social worker and start a prayer group that’s fine. I could not believe that our District Attorney in Fayette would testify for a child molester who has been at it for 15 years in Fayette. What the heck was he thinking ? Maybe he and his "Daddy" have just been at it too long representing the criminals that they can't shake that mentality.

Munford misses the point. Maybe he’s just too busy currying favor with the incumbents so he’ll get future stories. The real point is that it used to be that any criminal, regardless of where they came from, was deathly afraid to drop even a gum wrapper in Fayette County. Great public schools and strong law enforcement--- those have been the big assets of our community. Looks like that may be changing. Here you have local punks totally unafraid.

If we don’t make sure we keep our reputation, then we will end up being just like Clayton, Fulton and the rest.

The trend we got going now is that criminals don’t fear Fayette County anymore.

You may have missed it in the story: all four suspects LIVE in Peachtree City.

Although you were trying to be nice,and coy, I think you are the one who missed the point. It doesn't matter to some people where criminals live, they must have come from Atlanta recently!

i can assure you none of these kids familys or them came from atlanta

Highgreen,
Why do you feel that they must have come from Atlanta recently? I find this to be an odd statement.
Mom to 3, plus a few strays

It is the same reason PTC doesn't want MARTA, busses, and regional planning. You know what it is. Not many feel that way however.

Highgreen is right, Mr. Munford, you do miss the point. It doesn't matter if the perp is from a housing project by the Stadium or is some spoiled snotty nosed kid from Stoneybrook looking for a thrill. The point is that we never did have big city crime because criminals feared the consequences. No more. Trying a 15 year old as a juvenile for armed robbery ? Unbelievable. Try him as a juvenile for marijuana, shoplifting or maybe even joyriding. But armed robbery with injuries? No way. That violent outburst needs to be on his record.

As a fellow resident of Fayette County, I agree they should be tried as adults.

If they were my kids, they'd be glad to rot in juvy hall as they'd have it much worse from me when they got home from the cop shop. Is that the problem these days, that parents are too soft on their kids?

I wonder if drugs are involved. Guess we'll never know as juvenile proceedings are kept secret. You can bet all four of these kids has some kind of other spot on their record and thus they're getting a second free pass.

If this is unacceptable to the public, they should let the DA know their feelings.

To me it's not about a thirst for blood but a wish for justice. Do an adult crime and be treated like an adult, and that includes everybody knowing who you are.

You can bet all four of these kids has some kind of other spot on their record and thus they're getting a second free pass.......i will take your bet up on that

I fully agree with you, Mr. Munford. I don't agree with the DA's choice, because I think Fayette County needs to send a message that this will not be acceptable- not only for the community but to bring justice to the suspects. Being a McIntosh High student (and also knowing who the suspects are) I can assure you there is more to the story than what is being revealed to the public (as I'm sure you know). There has been more and more of this type of crime going on, most of which involves drugs- all at our schools. I hope these kids get the harshest punishment allowed under juvenile law.

none of you people know what your talking about.none of you know theses kids. none of you know the whole story behind all of this. none of you guys no were they live. none of you guys actaully witnessed it. none of you guys dont know if the victim is really a criminal to but just had to be a victim this time. you guys all make the victim look like the best kid. none of them are your friends. and most of you guys are hypocrites(sp?). so dont say anything about this whole "armed robbery crap" unless you know the facts

There is something to be said about using spell check before hitting the enter key!

bmxr can't be helped by spell check - he's (yes it is a he) a product of our wonderful public school system and will probably graduate in a few years and become one of our future leaders. How reassuring!
meow

Cart Path Crime

If the 15 year old did an armed robbery and seriously injured the victim, why is the District Attorney leaving him in the juvenile court where he gets no record? There is nothing in that story as to why. How in the world do you do that? I agree with John Munford--- he should at least have a record of this.

he got his phone stolen and got a small cut above his eye. ive been in worst situations and walked away without notifying the police. i dont think this should have been reported. there sending all these kids to jail all over a cell phone

So, tell us what you know. Who are the kids, where do they live and what actually happened. That's what this forum is for - gossip whether it is true or not. I assure you no one here cares about protecting the kid's identity. Why the DA is such a wimp I don't know, but maybe bmxer can shed some light on that.

i never said i knew anything more than what the newspaper said

If it were my teen that had this happen to him, I'd report it. And push for a strong punishment. Violence is NEVER okay, not even for teens. Robbery is robbery, no matter what you take. It's not a necessary part of growing up. I hope that you find better people to hang out with since you seem to think this is just part of life. For most of us, it's not acceptable, and never will be.

Mom to 3, plus a few strays

Reading over the comments of this article, I'm shocked by the complete insensitivity and lack of compassion by several commentators. We do not know all the facts of this case, and I think generally the PTC cops exaggerate and make something out of nothing. Yes, there is nothing in this article because it contains information only from Chief Murray. Keep in mind there are always two sides to every story. Had we heard from both sides, we might find mitigating factors and circumstances normally released in Superior Court Proceedings. However, we can assume there was something "extraordinary" as required by Georgia Law for the DA Ballard to keep this case in Juvenille. Having elected Ballard as our DA, we must accept his discretion, realizing there is something in this article we don't know; otherwise, I would agree with you. Why should we ruin these kids lives, when we could have the chance to teach them what they did was wrong, without effecting their whole lives. We live in a community where we focus too much on punishment. I found several of these comments calling for records of thes juveniles alarming. Do you think a 15 year old who participated in a "joke gone wrong" should be punished for the rest of his life? Seriously, think of the jokes you played when you were kid. Could they be considered criminal? In no way am I excusing the actions of these juveniles, just pointing out it can be resolved without a lifetime of punishment. Please, have a little heart for some young children and don't let your need for information and names get in your way. I suceeded.

I can't believe I just read "a joke gone wrong" in describing a teen with a gun on the cart path. As someone who was trained with weapons years ago and carries one legally, you need to know that pointing a gun at someone like me or any law enforcement officer can result in a very serious and permanent form of punishment. As the saying goes - if you point your weapon and someone you better be prepared to use it. Naturally this young thug/jokester/former student has not had proper training. It is only a matter of time before he does this again as an adult and goes away to big boy prison - hopefully he kills or hurts no one before he's put away, but if he does we have bleeding heart judges, DA's and school administrators to blame.

If I knew the kid would get some counseling and intensive rehabilitation if he is found guilty, I might feel differently, but the most they will do is sweep this under the rug and turn him loose when he turns 18 years old. That is unacceptable for this type of crime.

These are serious allegations and they should be treated seriously. The D.A. is no longer a criminal defense attorney and he needs to stop acting like one. The court can decide if it was a "joke gone wrong." He hasn't been found guilty yet. But, if indeed he IS found guilty of ARMED ROBBERY AND ASSAULT, then he ruined his own life when he committed the crime. He shouldn't be given the opportunity to ruin someone else's life after only a few short months of punishment.

Leoah Whineknott

The juvenile judge has the power to administer both heart and justice. If the juvenile were to be tried as an adult, and lets say receive a ten year sentence, he would be out, because of his age, in about three years. During this juvenile's three year stay in a juvenile facility, such as Alto, he would become hardened and learn the street life from the thugs inside the facility. Now, if the juvenile is tried as a juvenile, he gets about 60 days in a juvenile facility, where the system is geared towards work and school. The juvenile then gets out and is subject to monitoring by the Department of Juvenile Justice, who have probation officers to offer services in the child's home, and to monitor the child's activities. There is also the possibility of leg monitoring to check the child's movements. Notice I use the word child here. I certainly do not suggest that this act go unpunished, because it should not. But, in a world gone crazy, we need to start helping instead of crucifying. As far as the District Attorney issue of needing to be less of a defense attorney and more of a prosecutor goes, at least we now have someone who considers all of the facts and ramifications of the cases. He runs four counties, and things are going a lot better than you think. While enduring pain on the cross, Jesus forgave.

By the last line of your post I assume that you got into trouble as a youth and ended up in juvenile court for some violation. If my assumption is correct and you have rehabilitated yourself, then kudos to you. I'd love to hear more about your story; if you don't want to share it here, feel free to drop me an e-mail.

What we're talking about here is a very violent incident. Chances are, at least one of those involved here (perhaps the gunman, or should I say gunboy?) has a more extensive rap sheet. Chances are, the gunman's parents can no longer control him.

Chances are, the victim's life will never be the same again. This is a very traumatic incident; it went far beyond the lines of a prank.

It all comes down to this: at some point you've got to draw a line in the sand and say probation is not enough. Fines and restitution are not enough. This is one of those cases.

It's not about sending a message to the community; it's about sending a message to the kids who participated in this crime. A normal adult found guilty in Fayette County of armed robbery in Superior Court is likely to face a 15 or 20-year prison sentence, by my experience as a courtroom observer. Any judgement handed down in this case is likely to be far less severe, as the max jail sentence is five years for juveniles who commit armed robbery.

I'm sure there's "more to the story" as another poster pointed out, but because of the way the juvenile court system is designed, I doubt we'll ever hear the full details. That is distressing. An open dialog on this might prevent other youngsters from making the same stupid mistakes.

While you may think the police dept. exaggerates things, consider this. The juvenile court judge remanded all four suspects to YDC (kiddie jail) until trial. By law that can't be done unless there is evidence that at least strongly suggests they were guilty. The evidence may be a lot stronger than you think.

We will have another report on the situation in our Wednesday paper, so be on the lookout for that. I've got to shore up some details first.

We now have a teen poster who says that this case was no harmless prank, backing up what the Chief of Police said. And yet our District Attorney Scott "Keep the Criminal Lawyers Happy" Bullard says "just trust me". I know a good pervert or a good juvenile when I see one, he says. Like the poster said, it sounds like President Peanut's grandson or the pervert in the prayer group who got good treatment.

Citizenboy,
Are you joking? Since when do jokes gone wrong involve guns?
Guns are not toys!!! They are not a joking matter. The victim in this case was hurt in what appears to be a premeditated attack (according to the original article). I have a high schooler, and I would be livid if he were attacked, a weapon was involved, and the perp was not tried as an adult.

Mom to 3, plus a few strays

I must disagree with this comment and the statement that "We live in a community where we focus too much on punishment." This story is about a juvenile who engaged in an armed robbery and another juvenile was hurt. Real simple--- how do we stop crimes, not about how do we punish.

We should not take our officials' "word" on these matters. We should ask questions of both the police and the District Attorney.

Why has the District Attorney been silent? The Chief of Police spoke; why hasn't the DA spoken? I disagree that we should just "take his word for it." Maybe he will step forward like the Chief. He doesn't have to say the kid's name or anything.