Defense in Lawrence King Case Looking for Speedy Trial

First, the prosecution of Brandon McInerney, the 14-year-old accused of gunning down gay classmate Lawrence King. Now that a Ventura County turned down his request for a juvenile trial, the defense attorney wants his client to get a speedy jury trial. The Los Angeles Times:

[Deputy public defender Willie Quest] said the public defender's office may appeal [the] decision but would probably wait until after his client has been tried. It can take months, or even years, to get an appellate court ruling, he said.

By then, McInerney may no longer be a fresh-faced adolescent, Quest said.

"If people get to know Brandon and see Brandon as who he really is, I think they will be very unlikely to want him to die in prison," Quest said.

A second item that caught our eye his morning is an editorial in Thursday's Ventura County Star applauds the Oxnard school district for approving a pilot anti-bullying program for sixth-graders. The program includes videos and classroom discussion, smaller discussion groups and parent participation. Money quote: "There is little solid evidence that such an approach will succeed in stopping sixth-graders from teasing or bullying. But, teaching them to be kind to each other and to be more accepting of those different from them is worth the extra effort."