Sara Kruzan: Sentenced to Life Without Parole at Age 16

Why we should ban life without parole for juveniles

Check out the following link for more information:
http://www.youthlaw.org/press_room/video_sarah_kruzan_sentenced_to_life_witho...

Join the "FREE SARA KRUZAN" Facebook group!
http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/group.php?gid=135555313406&ref=ts

Sign the Petition to Free Sara Kruzan Today:
http://media.causes.com/651929?p_id=76873816

VIDEO TRANSCRIPT FOR THE DEAF/HEARING IMPAIRED:

In school, I excelled. I was on the honor roll, the principal's honor roll. I was an overachiever. I ran track. I ran for student body president.

I wrote a book on drugs and it's effects and I won a young author award.

G.G. would start to take me or my little friends to rollerskating or to the mall. He was like a father-figure.

G.G. was there ... sometimes. And he would talk to me and take me out and give me all of these lavish gifts or do all these things for me. And he would tell me "sex wise, you don't know need to give it up for free." He would try and put in my head all of these different things and how men really think and how men are. So, I would believe him.

He had sex with me when I was 13 and um, he's a very ... he uses his "manhood" to hurt ... like break you in, I guess.

G.G.'s hours were from 6pm to about 5:30 or 6 in the morning. The girls would bring their money and give it to him. He was like married to all of us, I guess... This is just how they do.

Everything, everything was his.

The judge sat up there and I remember my lawyer saying that he wanted to ask for me to be sentenced as a juvenile since YA (Youth Authority) had found me immunable and susceptible to the treatment. Um, but the judge said that because of my crime, that it was well-thought out, I deserved life without...

That means, I'm going to die here.

I definitely know I deserve punishment. I mean, you don't just take someone's life and think it's okay.

So yes, I definitely deserve punishment. How much? I don't know. Everyday is something that is not going to ever go away.

I'm very sorry to take his life like that.

I've always tried to educate myself though... in far as reading books and things like that. I didn't think I could excel. Who wants to excel in prison? I mean, be all you can be is not much.

My guess is my little heart would tell me that I was worth more.

My judge had told me I lacked moral scruples and I understand that. I had no clue what morals were and no clue what scruples meant. So I had to find that in the dictionary and put the two together. So "integrity" and "honesty" and all of these things i needed to learn. I went ahead and started to build this.

At a parole building, I would want to tell them that first of all, I have learned what moral scruples are. Second, everyday is a challenge and i realize that i found an ability to believe in myself and i have a lot of good to offer.

Now, the person i am today, at 29, I believe I could set a positive example.

I'm very determined to show that no matter what you've done or what you've come from or what you've experienced in life, it's up to you to change.

Category:

Nonprofits & Activism

Tags:

• Sara
• Sarah
• Kruzan
• NCYL
• Senator
• Leland
• Yee
• Juvenile
• Death
• Penalty
• California

[americanlegalforms]

How wold you feel if this was your daughter? She was brain washed and raped? Why wont the goverment step up to the plate? The docotor who kills mr Jackson only got 4 years. But A child get the rest of her life?

[Ninjabarnie1991]

Our justice system is screwed completely. A woma at hern like casey anthony can get off scotch free for taking the life of a her young child, but a 16 year kills her abuser and she gets the book thrown at her. Smh is an understatement.

[jonnyrisas]

so..you make a mistake....and not given a SECOND CHANCE....at 16!! please...

this makes me just as SICK... even more than the crime she was accused of....i HATE the system....so sad

[ASuzetteMc]

laprogressive com featured event free-sara-kruzan

[ASuzetteMc]

She is still in prison.

Governor Schwarzenegger commuted Sara’s sentence from life without the possibility of parole to 25 years to life, with the possibility of parole.

[egglot12]

A report said she was granted clemency, is she out now?

[egglot12]

@americanlegalforms

I agree completely. What can we do to help victims like this young woman?

[diptdipt]

In all this game, the devil is losing and at the end will be accused of everything because GOD don’t want any rivals. Conclusion: live at the full in the freedom of GOD (praying in a right form, following the INSTRUCTIONS in the Bible - keeping the 10 commandments - including keeping the Saturday as the 7th day etc.) instead of in the incapacity and limited power of devil because he is just a temporary puppet. Jesus Christ is our savior and our hope!

[Muffinfordinner]

Ever read Sade? All judges are aristocrats who rape women on beds of nails.