Who cares what I think?

The seventeen year old boy, who accidentally shot and killed an eight year old after pointing a gun at his face and pulling the trigger, is back in the news. It seems there is a problem with what exactly to do with the boy, who is now a legal adult. Bill Wilstead was sentenced to 14 years in prison, but the California Youth Authority only holds inmates until they are 25. Besides, CYA may not be the appropriate placement for a juvenile with no prior record.

The probation officer, who wrote the report courts eventually used to base their decision on, said that Wilstead showed no remorse. The mental health professionals who assessed the boy said otherwise. Now, I think mental health professionals are sometimes a little too touchy feely, loving dovey than they need be. And probation officers probably have plenty of experience dealing with inmates, etc. But really, I mean, shouldn’t psychological advice only be given by people who have actually studied psychology? I think I’m pretty good at reading people and I may have an opinion about someone, but that doesn’t mean it should be presented as evidence in court.

What do you all think?