Cyntoia Brown's case in spotlight due to social media
After nearly a decade the case of Cyntoia Brown has come to light, thanks to the power of social media.
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Cyntoia Brown a 28-year-old who has been serving a life sentence after shooting and killing 43-year-old Johnny Allen. Brown claims that she shot him in self-defense after he bought her from a sex trafficker. At the time Cyntoia Brown was sixteen and tried as an adult for the first-degree murder with the earliest possibility of parole being after Brown served 51 making her 69 years-old. However, the case has received plenty of attention thanks to celebrities rallying around the case and the popular hashtag #FreeCyntoiaBrown.
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Many supporters believe the case to be an example of a failed justice system.
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Rihanna posted a tweet saying, “Something is horribly wrong when the system enables these rapists and the victim is thrown away for life.” Rihanna hasn’t been the only celebrity rallying in Brown's corner Kim Kardashian also took to Twitter saying she would talk to her attorneys to see what could be done. Kardashian has since enlisted the help of Shawn Holley who has worked with clients such as Nicole Richie, Lindsay Lohan and O.J. Simpson.
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Brown was found guilty in 2006 after Prosecutors said Brown shot Allen in his sleep. Emphasizing the point that he was “found face down with his hands under his head” and that Brown had robbed him stealing cash and weapons. According to Fox news these items paired with her past juvenile record lead to the guilty verdict.
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After spending 11 years in prison Brown’s attorney Charles Bone says he is prepared to bring the case before the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals in the coming months. Bone explained to ABC news that the sixth circuit has refused to look at the appeals before this date but he is hopeful that the new media attention of the case will make the appeal favorable.
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Since Brown's conviction in 2006 new Supreme Court decisions have changed how juveniles are sentenced. The new decisions stated that according to the Eighth Amendment sentencing juvenile offenders to life in prison without the possibility of parole for any offense is prohibited. Also, in 2012 Brown was diagnosed with Fetal Alcohol Syndrome an illness inflicted on Brown by her abusive mother who according to Bone also inflicted physical and sexual abuse to Brown before the incident which leads to Brown being sold. Fetal Alcohol Syndrome would have, “caused [Brown] to experience the world through the mind of a 10-year-old child” during the time of the murder according to Bone. These new developments are why Bone believes the case needs to be reviewed and repealed. He told NBC that if Brown’s case were tried as of today that he believes, "she would most likely today be charged with second-degree murder at the most,” meaning that Brown would have served enough time as of today to be eligible for parole.
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The controversial case has brought the public’s attention to possible issues within the justice system and how it handles sex trafficking, sex slavery and juvenile justice. However, for Cyntoia Brown there still may be hope for a fresh take on her imprisonment.
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How the sixth circuit court will respond to this new attention and developments in the case is yet to be seen.