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...

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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?

[americanlegalforms]

I have put this all over tweeter. I will keep doing so until America wakes up It's not ok for a child to be raped and brain washed and then they lock the kid up this is so wrong on so many levels. But the doctor who kills Mr jackson only gets 4 years?

[camthebassist]

The guy deserved to die she should have been hailed as a hero for standing up to oppression I cried at this this is monstrous

[SHITCREEKSURVIVOR]

If this had happened in Western Europe she would NOT have gone to prison.This is so wrong..

[koriikorii]

This may be a pointless statement or comment or whatever but with the outcome of her trial, for it to have been a male judge shows that the he was obviously not looking at her case with an open mind and with any empathy whatsoever, isn't that in his job description, or am I talking out of my ass?

[Sagwah42]

I would have done the same thing. This is out of control, you only have ONE life.

[lovethoseboys100]

Hello a Thirteen year old against a PIMP? and an abused sixteen year old against a MONSTER? and THE JUDGE said Guilty for not taking it!  Men How can you sleep?

[lovethoseboys100]

I wonder what the Judge sentence would be if the shoe was on the other side and it was his daughter the one that was used like this. He would probably send one or two to make sure this guy was for sure death.

[giacomo309]

The judge was the one who lacked a soul. Usually men who say such things are closet molesters.

[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]

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