idk if anyone knows about this case... Kenneth Young was sentenced to 4 consecutive life sentences when he was 14/15 years old. Only to be resentenced and given 30 years. And he didn’t harm anyone. Thread : 
So. Kenneth, his mom, and sister lived in Tampa, Fl. They were in an extremely low income town during the rise of a crack cocaine epidemic. Kenneth’s mom Stephanie Young had a drug addiction to the point she was leaving her two kids at home for sometimes days at a time.
Eventually, Stephanie Young had no money but still needs the drugs. A well known dealer, Jacque Bethea comes into the picture. After some time the mom owes him money so she basically gives him her son to help him commit crimes to get the money.
To help his mom, Kenneth commits armed robbery with Jacque at 4 hotels within a 30 day time period. Kenneth wasn’t the one with the gun, he defended a lady from getting raped by Jacque during one of the robberies. And he had no priors. Jacque serves 10 years.
Keep in mind, Jacque is 24 years old making this 14/15 year old kid commit armed robbery in order to repay his mom’s drug debt. So what sense does it make for Kenneth to get 4 life sentences and Jacque to get 10 years ?
The supreme court passed a law saying it was unconstitutional for a minor to receive the death penalty or be sentenced to life without the possibility of parole. So, Kenneth’s lawyer gets a resentencing hearing.
The victims of the robberies testify, although one was still angry 11 years after the original sentencing, she still basically explained that Kenneth wasn’t the “dangerous” one between the two of them.
Kenneth directly apologizes to the victims face to face in court. He earns degrees/licenses in prison. He has never had an infraction in those first 11+ years before his resentencing outside of one day he didn’t make his bed. Yet the judge sentences him to 30 years!!!
Kenneth won’t be able to be tried for parole until 2030. He’s been in prison since 2000 (where they put him in solitary from the get-go due to his young age and his original life sentences.)
I’m not sure exactly what we can do to help him, I learned about this case in my class tonight and I felt like there wasn’t much outrage on this outside of the documentary made featuring Kenneth. I know social media wasn’t as big during the time of his arrest and resentencing.
Twitters pretty good at creating public outrage on things like this and I feel like Kenneth Young deserves it so share this pls! Someone with power needs to be made aware.
Here’s some links to learn more about his story: 15tolifethefilm.com/timeline/ caselaw.findlaw.com/fl-district-co…
I’m not sure I made this clear enough... Kenneth Young got THREE 30 year sentences with the possibility of parole after serving 30 years. Attached is the judges final sentencing.
