NEW ORLEANS (AP) — A New Orleans grand jury indicted two juveniles as adults on second-degree murder charges in the fatal shooting of a woman, according to District Attorney Jason Williams, who also acknowledged he sought the indictment despite his antipathy for trying teens in adult court.
Williams spoke out against trying juveniles in adult courts when he ran for the office last fall. But Williams said Monday his prosecutors, at his direction, obtained murder indictments against the teens in the death of Anita Irvin-LeViege, 52.
The Times-Picayune/The New Orleans Advocate reported in January that LeViege and her dog were shot with a rifle during what police said was a suspected carjacking attempt. Both died.
“While I am deeply committed to handling juvenile matters in juvenile court, we refuse to ignore the egregiousness of their actions, and we must pursue appropriate accountability," Williams said during a news conference.
He said a conviction in juvenile court could bring as little as four or five years in prison.
“I don't think there's a single person in this city that would believe that four or five years for taking a life is an appropriate accountability measure,” Williams said.