Maryland teen faces criminal charges in friend’s death

A 17-year-old has been charged by a grand jury with second-degree murder and will be tried as an adult. The Maryland teen’s criminal charges stem from the June 10 asphyxiation death of an 18-year-old friend. The death was ruled a homicide by the coroner’s office and the teenager allegedly caused the death by choking the deceased.

The teen’s bail was set at $500,000 and several conditions will need to be met if the young man is able to post bail and hopes to be released. Electronic monitoring and home confinement were the primary release stipulations. The accused would also be required to refrain from any form of Internet use and must not communicate with the victim’s family in any way. All of the conditions required for home monitoring must be met to the satisfaction of the Department of corrections or the teenager will not be released on bail.

The death occurred in Maryland and the accused teen was apprehended by U.S Marshals about two weeks later in Berks County, Pennsylvania. Witnesses claim that the victim died after the teen allegedly restrained him around the neck. A spokesperson for the state police said that there is reason to believe that the group of young men may have been involved with LSD use when the death occurred.

The Maryland teenager who will be tried as an adult faces serious criminal charges. The young man’s life will be permanently altered should the prosecution secure a conviction of second-degree murder and potentially severe penalties are involved. He is, however, guaranteed by law legal protections that are identical to those accorded all who are accused of criminal acts, and no conviction can take place unless the prosecution can prove the teenager’s alleged guilt by presenting evidence that must first meet a stringent burden of proof.

Source: wboc.com, “Bail Set for Talbot Co. Teen Charged with Murder,” Kristina Leon, July 5. 2013