Town stunned as 8-year-old charged in two killings, Chicago lawyer who tried similar case talks to CNN

An 8-year-old Arizona boy charged in the fatal shootings of his father and another man draws similarities between it and another case. Chicago attorney, Andre M. Grant spoke to CNN anchor, Don Lemon about a similar case in 1990s where Chicago police accused 7 and 8-year-old boys of a heinous sex crime and murder of an 11-year-old girl. He defended one of the boys.

(left to right) Atty. Andre Mandell Grant, Ill. Appellate Judge, ret. R. Eugene Pincham (deceased), Atty. Lewis Myers. This photo was taken by a Chicago Defender photographer (Rod) on the steps of the Defender at 2400 S. Michigan in 1999 at its old location in connection with a story on the Ryan Harris case.
Although both children were later exonerated, the incident changed the Cook County juvenile justice system forever. Grant said several factors must be considered, like the legality of the police interrogation process, when charging juveniles with adult crimes.Eighteen Months, a fictitious book based on a reporter who covered the story of two young boys accused of murdering 11-year-old Ryan Harris in the 1990s may be found here: Eighteen Months.

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