A Killer Special

Tonight, KBDI Channel 12 will repeat of "When Kids Get Life," a Frontline special that profiled five young men in Colorado who received the mandatory sentence of life without parole when they were convicted of first-degree murder in adult court -- even though they were juveniles when the crimes were...
By Patricia Calhoun
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Tonight, KBDI Channel 12 will repeat of “When Kids Get Life,” a Frontline special that profiled five young men in Colorado who received the mandatory sentence of life without parole when they were convicted of first-degree murder in adult court — even though they were juveniles when the crimes were committed.

Colorado legislators changed the law eighteen months ago, doing away with the mandatory life sentence for juvies. But at the time, several defendants still faced that potential sentence — and one of them, Michael Tate, finally went on trial this fall. For the full story, see Luke Turf’s “Killer Instinct.” — Patricia Calhoun

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Patricia Calhoun is editor-in-chief of Westword, the alt-weekly she co-founded in September 1977. She’s been inducted into the Colorado Press Association Hall of Fame, the Association of Alternative Newsmedia Hall of Fame and the Colorado Restaurant Association Hall of Fame. She’s also received dozens of local, state and national awards for writing, including first place for feature writing and first place for column writing with the Society of Professional Journalists. Patricia is a weekly commentator on Colorado Inside Out, PBS 12’s public affairs roundtable, which has won two Emmys.

patricia.calhoun@westword.com

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