Juvenile Attempted Murder Charge Dropped to Aggravated Battery for North Miami Beach High School Student

Juvenile Attempted Murder Charge Dropped to Aggravated Battery for North Miami Beach High School Student 

Quick Summary:

Two male students at North Miami Beach High School planned to meet outside behind the baseball field bleachers to fight. During the altercation, the client stabbed the other student with a kitchen steak knife from his home. The school was placed on lockdown, and the victim was taken to the hospital. The client turned himself in and ultimately the attempted murder charge was lowered to aggravated battery.

Facts of the Case:

The people involved were two male students at North Miami Beach High School. The client was 16 years old and the victim was 15 years old. The client had been facing difficulty at the school with bullying and violence. In January of 2024, the two students planned to meet up behind bleachers outside of the school to fight, at which point the client eventually pulled out a knife and stabbed the victim in the chest. 

He was facing felony attempted murder as well as a charge of bringing a deadly weapon on school property. He brought the steak knife from his home and had it with him during the altercation. The client’s mother explained how over the winter break, her son had expressed that he did not want to return to North Miami Beach High School. The client had a history of anxiety, suicidal ideation, and substance abuse. 

Process and Result:

Throughout the process of this case, the Rossen team collected evidence about the client’s prior medical history, his experiences at his high school, and the reasons he maintained for stabbing the other student. 

The firm obtained medical records related to the client’s history of mental illness as well as a psychological evaluation while the client was in custody. Ultimately, the case only reached the initial stages of the legal process, as Susan and Scott quickly resolved it without going to trial.

Final Result: 

Susan Lawson and Scott Simmons worked to resolve the case to a COC Aggravated Battery with a Deadly Weapon and/or Serious Bodily harm with a knife, a much lower charge than felony attempted murder. The client was committed to a non-secure residential commitment program through the DJJ with conditional release to follow.