SB 1391 protesters gathered outside Adrian Gonzalez sentencing
Tuesday was the sentencing day for child killer Adrian Gonzalez of Santa Cruz who admitted to kidnapping, raping and murdering his 8-year old neighbor, Maddy Middleton when he was 15 years old.
Outside the courthouse, about 20 people gathered to rally against SB 1391 the law that prevented prosecutors from trying Adrian Gonzalez as an adult.
“There are other AJ's out there who could slip through the cracks so we have to change these laws,” said Alanni Searcy of Santa Cruz.
SB 1391 which was ruled constitutional earlier this year by the California Supreme court prevents anyone 15 or younger from being tried as adults. Gonzalez was just 3-months shy of turning 16 when he committed the gruesome murder.
Related | Emotional day in court as Maddy Middleton's parents confront their daughter's killer
Had Gonzalez been tried as an adult he would've been facing 100 plus years to life in prison for the crime, instead, Gonzalez will be a ward of the juvenile justice system until he turns 25; just 4 years from now.
“This crime is a heinous crime for someone so young to have planned this that he shouldn't be set free we are not safe if he's set free none of our children will be safe,” said Linda Johnson of Scotts Valley.
In court Tuesday, Adrian Gonzalez addressed his victim’s family.
“I hope to work on my issues so no one else has to experience what you endured,” Gonzalez said.
Under the current juvenile justice system, when Gonzalez turns 25, the court can be petitioned to have him incarcerated for another 2-years. That request can be made indefinitely.
“There's no guarantee that he'll get out at the of age 25 there are extension statutes on the books now and will be in the future if that's necessary to extend his time,” said Larry Biggam, defense attorney for Gonzalez.
Related | Maddy Middleton's killer given a maximum sentence
But the state juvenile system is undergoing a major overhaul in two years and prosecutors say it's unknown what the process will be, if any, for keeping juvenile offenders in custody past the age of 25.
“DJJ (Division of Juvenile Justice) is disappearing in 2023 and it stands if DJJ is gone what are the procedures? This answer is right now there are none that are viable in 2023 that is something that clearly needs to be worked on,” said Jeff Rosell, district attorney for Santa Cruz County.
State lawmakers are currently working on legislation that in large part will help determine what happens to Adrian Gonzalez when he turns 25.