9-Year-Old Charged With Felony

(Chesterfield Township, Michigan) Tabarri Waller, 9, will face a jury in Macomb County Circuit Court on June 29 on charges of malicious destruction of property. Maximum penalty for the crime is five years in prison. His parents rejected a plea bargain, insisting their son is innocent.

There's no way that I'll believe the jury will send a 9-year-old to prison. So, what's the purpose of the trial? It's easy to see that the onus of responsibility needs to be placed on the parents such that they will be forced to pony up payment for the damage caused. It doesn't seem to be a smart move by the parents. They're likely to incur greater cost with a trial versus without.