Racial Disparity in Missouri's Juvenile Justice System
This paper examines the growing racial disparity in Missouri's juvenile justice system, with particular focus on the disproportionate rate at which African-American juveniles are certified and tried as adults. Drawing on statistics from 2001 to 2009 and the high-profile case of Ledale Nathan Jr., the paper traces how the U.S. Supreme Court's 2012 decision in Miller v. Alabama affected sentencing outcomes for juvenile offenders. It also explores the socioeconomic and family circumstances often associated with juvenile offending, and calls for further research into intervention programs that might prevent youth violence before it escalates to the criminal justice system.
- Racial Disparity in Missouri's Juvenile Prosecutions: Statistics reveal sharp rise in Black juveniles tried as adults
- The Case of Ledale Nathan Jr.: Nathan convicted of murder at 16, sentenced to life
- Resentencing Under Miller v. Alabama: Supreme Court ruling prompts resentencing review for Nathan
- Prosecution, Defense, and the Human Cost: Closing arguments highlight trauma, culpability, and victim impact
- Patterns of Juvenile Offending in St. Louis: Broader trends call for prevention programs and further research
✍️ How to write this paper — guide, tools & examples ▾
What makes this paper effective
- Uses concrete statistics to establish the racial disparity argument before moving to a specific case study, grounding claims in evidence.
- Balances both sides of the Nathan case fairly, presenting prosecution and defense arguments without editorializing.
- Connects the individual case to a broader systemic pattern, giving the analysis both human specificity and wider social relevance.
Key academic technique demonstrated
The paper demonstrates effective use of a case study as an illustrative anchor for a broader argument. By introducing system-wide statistics first and then zooming into a single high-profile case, the writer shows how micro-level evidence can make macro-level trends more concrete and compelling. This technique is especially useful in criminology and social justice writing.
Structure breakdown
The paper opens with statistical context about racial disparities in juvenile prosecutions statewide, then narrows to the Ledale Nathan Jr. case as a detailed example. It traces Nathan's original conviction, the impact of Miller v. Alabama, the resentencing process, and the closing arguments from both sides. It concludes by connecting the case back to broader patterns and calling for research-driven intervention. The Works Cited section follows MLA format.
Racial Disparity in Missouri's Juvenile Prosecutions
Missouri has seen a rise in African-American juveniles tried as adults. Statistics from 2009 indicate that 64% of the juveniles tried as adults were of African-American descent — nearly double the 36% recorded in 2001 (Cooper). This stark increase brings to light a deepening racial disparity in the criminal justice system and raises serious questions about the nature of prosecution in Missouri. Many of the cases involving African-American juvenile offenders certified as adults are prosecuted in St. Louis. "From 2001 to 2009, St. Louis certified 39% of the Black juveniles prosecuted as adults statewide. St. Louis County accounted for 29%" (Cooper).
The Case of Ledale Nathan Jr.
One such case is that of Ledale Nathan Jr. At the age of 16, Nathan and an accomplice broke into a house in St. Louis' LaSalle Park neighborhood in October 2009. Nathan killed a 34-year-old woman named Gina Stallis and wounded a firefighter and an off-duty city police officer. His conviction resulted in a sentence of life without parole. However, a 2012 ruling opened the door for a review of his conviction. "When he was convicted of first-degree murder in 2011, life without parole was his only option. But in June 2012, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in Miller v. Alabama that an automatic life sentence for a juvenile was unconstitutional" (Mann).
Resentencing Under Miller v. Alabama
Nathan underwent resentencing following the Miller v. Alabama decision, alongside another juvenile offender certified as an adult, Javon Adair. While Adair received a reduced sentence, Nathan's case involved careful consideration of whether his sentence was fair and appropriate given the nature of his crime. The jury weighed Nathan's state of mind at the time of the offense as well as his personal background. After three hours of deliberation, they could not reach a unanimous decision. As a result, the initial first-degree murder conviction was vacated and replaced with a second-degree murder conviction.
Although the initial conviction was replaced with a lesser one, Nathan still faced 75 years in prison on charges unaffected by the Miller v. Alabama ruling, meaning the new conviction proved largely ineffective in reducing his overall time in prison. The closing arguments from the prosecution maintained that Nathan had acted like a man and should be punished as one. "In closing arguments, Assistant Circuit Attorney [name redacted] told jurors Nathan was the aggressor. She said he repeatedly threatened to kill the family and pressed a gun against a 78-year-old's forehead" (Mann).
Works Cited
Cooper, Kenneth J. "Black Missouri Teens Increasingly Tried Disproportionately As Adults." Center for Public Integrity, The Center for Public Integrity, 10 May 2011, www.publicintegrity.org/2011/05/10/4545/black-missouri-teens-increasingly-tried-disproportionately-adults-0. Accessed 20 Feb. 2017.
Mann, Jennifer S. "Jury Vacates Life Sentence for Teen Killer in St. Louis Home Invasion." Stltoday.com, St. Louis Post-Dispatch, 4 June 2014, www.stltoday.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/jury-vacates-life-sentence-for-teen-killer-in-st-louis/article_7da6e51d-4c64-553c-84f5-c6c1066590eb.html. Accessed 20 Feb. 2017.
Create your account
Always verify citation format against your institution’s current style guide requirements.