Lionel Tate getting ready to be set free from prison
Submitted by Matthew Tremley on Monday, January 26, 2004 at 3:24 PM EST


• Teen in 'Wrestling Death' Nears Freedom
  
  WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - The teen whose life sentence for murdering a playmate was thrown out after a worldwide uproar will be allowed to go free Monday, a judge ruled.
  
  Circuit Judge Joel Lazarus, who imposed the life sentence after trial, ordered Lionel Tate released without bond. It was expected to take a few hours to complete jail paperwork for his release. Tate, now 16, will have to wear an electronic monitoring device.
  
  After the hearing, Tate gave his mother a faint smile and she put her arm around him.
  
  Supporters worldwide rallied to free Tate since he was convicted of first-degree murder in the death of 6-year-old playmate Tiffany Eunick in 1999. Tate was 12 at the time of the death; the first-degree murder conviction carried an automatic sentence of life without the possibility of parole.
  
  After meeting with a psychologist who will test his mental competence, Tate is to appear at another hearing Thursday, when he is expected to plead guilty to second-degree murder and be sentenced to three years.
  
  Tate will be credited for the three years he has already served in jail and at a maximum-security juvenile prison.
  
  Prosecutors offered him the deal last month after an appeals court threw out his original conviction. The plea deal is identical to the one the boy and his family rejected before his trial.
  
  To read the full article, CLICK HERE
  
  Credit: Yahoo! News
  

  
  

  
  
  

  *NEW GALLERY* Must See! McMahon FAMILY PHOTOS! Shane's Wife & More! Very Rare!

• Quick Links -
  [Back to LOP] [News Archives] [Results] [Columns] [Forums]