A Miami teen was found guilty by a jury of attempted second-degree murder and armed robbery after a week-long trial in Miami-Dade Circuit Court.
The teen was charged with possessing a firearm during the commission of these crimes. However, lack of DNA evidence on the firearm led the jury to find the teen guilty but without the use or possession of a firearm.
Since the teen was accused of being part of a group that committed the crime, the jury relied upon the principal theory, which states that every member of a group committing a crime is just as guilty as the other.
However, in order to be found guilty of a crime involving the possession, use, or discharge of a firearm, the jury must specifically find that the defendant actually possessed, used, or discharged the firearm. In this case, the jury believed that the teen was involved in the robbery and attempted murder but did not actually hold the gun or pull the trigger.
In this case, an off-duty police officer was volunteering at his church when a group of three young men approached him and robbed him at gunpoint for his jewelry. While the alleged victim complied, he was still shot in the chest.
The teen still faces trial in a number of other crimes, including murder. He will likely be sentenced to life in prison.