Three Carson High School students suspected of the alleged rape
of a UCLA student during a campus visit in December will be
prosecuted as adults, the District Attorney’s office
announced earlier this week.
This decision was made by the Deputy D.A. for the county of Los
Angeles, who looked at the case presented by police and then
determined the minors should be tried as adults.
“They’re being tried as adults because of the
severity and nature of the crime,” said the press secretary
for the L.A. County D.A.’s office, Jane Robinson.
Because they’re being tried as adults, the suspects face
potential prison time. If they were tried as juveniles the maximum
sentence they could receive would place them in the California
Youth Authority until they reach the age of 25.
Robinson said the case must be refiled, this time trying the
suspects as adults, and it will most likely be heard in either the
Ingelwood or Airport courthouses.
UCLA students’ opinions vary as to whether the suspects
should be tried as adults.
“In general, I don’t agree with people under the age
of 18 being tried as adults. They were minors; they may not have
known what they were doing. They do not deserve to be locked up
with adults,” said Deedee Collins, first-year undeclared
student.
Laura Perry, first-year, political science student, does not
agree.
“If you commit an adult crime, there should be adult
ramifications,” she said.
According to the L.A. Times and other newspapers, the suspects
are former football players Jamar Dawson, 16, Chuwan Anthony and
DeShawn Stringer, both 17.
Robinson would not confirm the suspects’ names.
Students at Carson High School expressed concern about whether
their fellow classmates could have committed such a crime.
“It’s shocking. I can’t believe that happened,
nobody can,” said Carson High senior Marissa Adams.
“I know Stringer and Chuwan real well,” said senior
Shannon Sykes.
Stringer has been in and out of group homes and foster systems
and does not have a criminal record, Sykes said.
Adams and Sykes both said they shouldn’t be tried as
adults.
Administrators, counselors and teachers fear that the hard work
they have put into turning Carson High School into an academic
institution will be overshadowed by this incident.
“This is a very unfortunate situation, it’s not
representative of who we are as a school,” said Principal
Douglas Waybright.
Carson High School is located 25 miles south of UCLA and boasts
a diverse student body.
Students are regularly taken on field trips to various
colleges.
“These students are in many cases the first in their
family to go to college. It’s important they visit these
campuses,” said Waybright.
The procedures schools follow to visit college campuses are not
clearly defined by the Los Angeles Unified School District.
On this particular trip to UCLA Carson High School had 56
students and one chaperone.
“Students just have to sign release papers and
things,” said LAUSD operations administrator Hector
Dubon.”It’s ultimately up to the principal.”
LAUSD officials are investigating the matter.
“We’re looking to see if (the rules) were
followed,” said Dubon.
“Normally you have a chaperone for every 25 kids,”
said Carson High School college counselor Holly Koletty.