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The Youngest Child in the US sentenced as an Adult
30 years with no parole
Christopher Pittman
Christopher's case is being supported and sponsored by
The Juvenile Justice Foundation.
When you look at this case on the outside only without getting to know the family and the facts involved in this tragedy, many may say yes, he got what he deserved.
But when you look at all the circumstances involved in this tragedy, the age of Chris at that time, the fact that Chris had never gotten into trouble, no criminal record not even a blemish on his school records for bad behavior. Chris was always described by friends and family as a shy, quiet well behaved child. One who loved his grandparents Joe and Joy Pittman with all his heart.
When you look at the facts in their entirety most importantly the fact that while Chris was detained in the juvenile detention center before his trial, he was put back on the SSRI medication Paxil, during this period ,Chris had many violations against him. It was not until his family begged to have his medications winged out of his system that Christopher's record went from many violations to no violations. Common sense can only bring you to the conclusion that the medication is the root to this tragedy. And you have to wonder:
What Happened?
As the family continues to stand by Chris and fight for his freedom, to this day they contend Christopher's behavior only changed when he was prescribed an SSRI medication for depression which they believe lead to this tragedy and nothing else but the medication could have been the cause.
So then we must as a society ask ourselves if this is the case , how then can we send a 12 year old child to spend the most part of his life in prison? What degree of justice will be served in Christopher's case? If indeed he is not a so called (bad seed) how is this sentence helping him? What is the purpose?
There is none, The state of South Carolina abandoned Christopher and choose to try him as an adult to face adult punishment only, no counseling, a minimum education consisting of a GED and no rehabilitation opportunities what so ever.
To return to a society he has no knowledge of how to survive in. The sad fact of this tragedy is South Carolina did have the opportunity to keep Chris in the Juvenile Justice System giving him the assistance he needed to deal with what he did do and get him and his family through this ordeal intact insuring Chris will be released as a healthy young man at the age of 21.
As we look at Christopher's case , we then have to take a look at the other children as young as 10 that are being tried and sentenced as adults under the mandatory sentencing guidelines, and we have to wonder and ask ourselves and our nation,
What are we doing to our offending children under any circumstance? What is the purpose of sentencing them to adult prison? How will this approach help them be rehabilitated when adult prison offers no such thing for our children?
Was Justice Served in Christopher Pittman's Case?
Does this look like an adult?
Age 12
Time of tragedy
Age 15
Tried as an adult
Age 17
Transferred to adult prison
Christopher Pittman
Christopher Pittman at 12 years of age was charged as an adult for the murder of his grandparents.
These crimes were committed while Christopher was under the influence of Zoloft, having an adverse reaction to an adult medication prescribed to him that was not approved for children under the age of 18.
Christopher was held in a South Carolina juvenile detention center as a 5'2', 96 pound 6th grader for 3 years and did not sit before a jury until he had grown to be a 6'1' and 150 pound young man at the age of 15.
He was convicted of murder and sentenced to 30 years in prison without the possibility of parole.
His sentence is the minimum mandatory sentence allowed by South Carolina laws.
At the age of 12 without the benefit of legal representation or a parent being present, he was allowed to waive his Miranda rights with no audio or video taping and gave multiple statements to the interrogators.
Christopher was questioned with no adult or attorney present and was not told his father was outside the room demanding to see his son.
This was Christopher's first offense
Christopher's Story
Christopher Frank Pittman was born April 9th, 1989 in Huntsville, Alabama, shortly after his birth he and his sister were abandoned by their mother. During the next few years
Christopher and his sister lived between both sets of his grandparents while his father was in Iraq during the first gulf war. Upon his return the children went back to live with their father who during the next several years had a series of failed marriages.
Christopher and his sister even though they had a rough upbringing without a mother figure they were happy children, as many of their childhood pictures reveal and many of the stories they tell today of their childhood .
Around the age of 11 Christopher's mother and father reunited in an effort to work things out but once again that effort failed and once again his mother abandoned the children.
Christopher distraught that his mother again could so easily walk out of his life ran away from his Florida home in an attempt to get to South Carolina where his grandparents Joe and Joy Pittman had moved a few years earlier.
Christopher was found and returned to his home where an argument took place and Chris lashed out at his dad and said he would rather be dead than to stay there and live with him. Christopher was too young to understand adult life and was heartbroken and confused.
PFIZER BEHIND CLOSED DOORS
"On January 18, 2002, - five years ago, long before the "Texas Personal Injury Lawyers (Andy Vickery and Paul Waldner) appeared for the defense in Christopher's case, and well before "involuntary intoxication" had ever been raised as a defense.
Pfizer's lawyer, Jim Hooper, sent selected information concerning Zoloft's "safety" to the South Carolina prosecution's main expert witness, Dr. Pamela Crawford.
What was Dr. Crawford doing, and why was Pfizer's lawyer sending information about Zoloft "safety" to her?
She was working on a "criminal responsibility" opinion in this case. (Her actual report was not rendered until February 23, 2002.)
And Pfizer, who on the one hand brands Pittman's conduct as "heinous" and yet, on the other, claims it is not his accuser" wanted to make sure that Dr. Crawford did not blame his conduct on Zoloft.
Under subpoena, Mr. Hooper claimed that he knew absolutely nothing which is relevant to this case. But when it suited Pfizer's purposes to have Pittman deemed "criminally responsible" he apparently did.
Pfizer also deemed it necessary to provide the South Carolina prosecution team the Pfizer prosecutors manual , a well written lawyered up manual which guides the prosecution team on how to guestion professionals to discredit any testimony for the defense of these tragedies.
This manual is made possible because Pfizer refuses to release the actual data on the dangers of these drugs and refuses to conduct serious clinical trials on the violence associated with children taking SSRI's.
How You Can Help
Please sign
CHRISTOPHER'S BILL
(THE JUVENILE JUSTICE REFORM ACT)
Donations can be sent to the following address;
unfortunately these donations are not tax deductible at this time.
This account has been set up by his grandmother for Christopher Pittman.
.
These funds will be used during the fight for his freedom for his college education while he is imprisoned.
Chris has begun his second semester and is on his way to earning a degree in business administration.
If you wish to send a donation, please use the address below, endorsing the check for deposit only.
Christopher Pittman
c/o Center State Bank
1017 S. Main Street
Wildwood, Florida 34785
View the news videos on Christopher to get an in-depth look into the case.
search box... insert Zoloft to view the
videos
The following link is a comprehensive report written by Jason Cato, a reporter for the Herald.
Jason's report is the best place to start when trying to understand what happened that night.
Christopher's Savings account Fund
If you would like to help Chris
Christopher's video to the FDA
advisory committee hearing / 2007
on behalf of Chris produced JJFC.
VIEW
THE 48 HOUR SPECIAL
ON CHRISTOPHER'S CASE
A Website has been established for Christopher,Please go to Christopher's website to read more information on Christopher's case.
The Official Christopher Pittman Information website with full cooperation and input
from Christopher and his family.
Sponsored by : The Juvenile Justice Foundation
Read indept articles by
Jason Cato
on Christopher's Case
Big Pharma for years has known about the dangers SSRI medication can pose to some, in a 1994 dated memo email made public from a criminal trial involving an adverse reaction (Involuntary intoxication), from Roger Lane M.D.
Quote:
Marketing is very aware that a patient on Zoloft involved in an incident of mass homicide could severely affect the image and commercial success of Zoloft.
READ THE FULL EMAIL