JUVENILE JUSTICE?

Judge Tries to Explain Charges to Boy, 9, Charged in 5 Arson Deaths

The child, who is charged with murder and arson, asked the court to explain what he allegedly did.

A 9-year-old Illinois boy accused of setting an April fire that killed his mother’s boyfriend and four relatives appeared in court Monday to face murder and arson charges. According to the Chicago Tribune, Woodford County Judge Charles Feeney labored to explain the proceedings to the boy, whose head barely reached the top of the chair. “What don’t you understand?” the judge asked the child. “What I did,” he replied. The boy was taken into protective custody after his arrest, but his parents and other family members were in the courtroom to support him. Because of his age, he faces probation if convicted as a juvenile.