[Response] Dylan Yang continue

A preliminary hearing in Yang's case is set for March 12. The hearing is at 8:30 am in Branch 1 Courtroom, room C230.

Lack of a lawyer hurts. Read more about how that affected Fong Lee of MN's case here: http://www.twincities.com/ci_12033266

I am not sure who is guilty or not in the stabbing case with Dylan Yang. Dylan's case should bring exposure to these two cases and others similar.

Ethan couch, 16 at his arrest, was only ordered "to rehab for driving drunk, killing 4." How is it possible for someone who makes a decision like this to let go? Meanwhile, other children who commits less of a crime serves a bigger sentence. Couch was let go for affuenza (http://www.pbs.org/kcts/affluenza/). But what about the kids like Dylan who suffers from Povertenza (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jessica-ann-mitchell/affluenza-privilege_b_4445349.html)? By the way, povertenza is not recognized as a medical or any sort of legal condition one could use in court.

Read more about Ethan Couch here: http://www.cnn.com/2014/02/05/us/texas-affluenza-teen/

Dylan is only 15 and I do not want an unfair trail to happen to him, as it did with the Central Park 5. In short, Central Park 5 was about 5 five teenage boys who were found guilty for a crime they did not commit. There were only found guilty because law enforcements talked them into admitting to the crime. As a result, their teen years were gone forever.

Read more about the Central Park 5 case here: http://www.pbs.org/kenburns/centralparkfive/

Read more about how the City of NY responded when they were finally found not guilty after they served parts of their sentence here: http://www.nytimes.com/2014/09/06/nyregion/41-million-settlement-for-5-convicted-in-jogger-case-is-approved.html?_r=0

Although the jail system serves to keep "bad" people in place, it doesn't outweigh how it fails the community. The jail system is an irony. First, we put them away and the citizens pay tax money to operate the jails. Second, when the system is wrong, the victims are compensated with the citizen's tax money. Third, the victims' lives were wasted and has a lasting impact in their own lives as well as those around them. We all lose. There is a way...

I get it that some people do not deserve another chance or that it could be another chance too late, but it's this system that ruins one’s whole life. With a criminal record, one will be affected by many of its' ripples. First, they will struggle to find employment. This causes them to live off welfare. Second, they can't climb up the ladder financially. For some people, they might resort to illegal ways to reach financial stability. Third, we all complain that our money is going no where. It’s just time that we start to teach people how to simply do life “right.” We need to invest in each other.

But maybe I'm just naive to think people are kind. Maybe I'm stupid to think people are willing to work with the system if they would just give them a chance. Maybe I'm crazy for believing in anyone.

Many of us are fortunate to be in control of the cards we are dealt. I hope that we will find ways to use, inspire, help others with our cards.