Ohio prosecutors have announced that Bresha Meadows, Attorney Friedman's 15-year-old client charged with the shooting death of her father, will be tried as a minor in juvenile court. After months of speculation that Meadows may be tried as an adult, Friedman praised the decision he says will allow him and Meadows' family to focus on her recovery.
"This is a monumental decision. This is what we had hoped for since day one," Attorney Friedman told Cleveland.com. "We can now shift our focus entirely to designing a treatment plan that will help Bresha navigate through the recovery of this traumatic incident."
The Huffington Post, one of many national outlets that has been following this story, also reached Attorney Friedman for comment. "I am obviously thrilled with the decision by the prosecutor to keep Bresha’s case in the juvenile court," he told Huffington Post. "This doesn’t change our position that this was a self-defense scenario and we will press on with our effort to get Bresha home with her family right away. Today is a great day."
"We Didn’t Know What Was Going to Happen"
Bresha Meadows was only 14 when she was arrested last July following the death of her father. According to prosecutors, Bresha shot and killed her father, Jonathan Meadows, with a .45-caliber gun. The Meadows family—which includes Bresha's mother Brandi and three children in total—claims to have suffered years of domestic abuse from Jonathan Meadows. Brandi Meadows says she's required medical attention 15 to 20 times over the course of her marriage due to the physical abuse.
Bresha's case quickly caught national and international attention. Advocacy groups rallied around Bresha online and inundated the Friedman Nemecek Long & Grant, L.L.C., L.L.C. offices with letters of support. "I am relieved that prosecutors decided not to try Bresha as an adult. She is not an adult. She is still a child," Mariame Kaba, an organizer of the #FreeBresha campaign, told Huffington Post.
Among those most relieved by the prosecutors' decision, however, are members of Bresha's family. Martina Latessa, Bresha's aunt, is grateful that prosecutors have ended the family's excruciating uncertainty about Bresha's future. "We didn’t know for months what was going to happen," she told Huffington Post. "Now we know she will not spend the rest of her life in prison, no matter what."
If tried as an adult, Bresha could have faced life in prison, but as a juvenile, her possible detention is greatly reduced. Attorney Friedman and our team continue to prepare this case for trial and ensure that the facts of this traumatic incident are properly scrutinized before the court.
If you or a loved one have been charged with a serious crime, then we invite you to contact our Ohio criminal defense lawyers at Friedman Nemecek Long & Grant, L.L.C., L.L.C. today. Our renowned, award-winning team of legal advocates has earned a reputation for securing favorable results for our clients even as they face serious charges before our criminal justice system.
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