1. Lionel Alexander Tate was born on January 30,1987 and is the youngest American citizen ever sentenced to life imprisonment without the possibility of parole, though this sentence was eventually overturned.
14 Facts About Lionel Tate
1. 2.
In January 2001, when Tate was 13, he was convicted of first-degree murder for the 1999 battering death of six-year-old Tiffany Eunick in Broward County, Florida imitating professional wrestling moves.
3.
Roughly 45 minutes later, Lionel Tate came upstairs to tell his mother that Tiffany was not breathing.
4.
Therefore, Lionel Tate was sentenced to life in prison without the prosecution having to prove that he intended to kill or injure, or realized that his acts are likely to kill or injure, or even that a typical child of his age would or should realize this.
5.
Critics, such as the various groups listed in the amicus brief attached to Lionel Tate's appeal, assert that convicting preteen children of first-degree murder without having to prove these children intended any harm, not to mention serious injury or death, is unacceptable.
6.
The sentence was controversial because Lionel Tate was 12 years old at the time of the murder, and his victim was 6.
7.
Lionel Tate was the youngest person in modern US history to be sentenced to life imprisonment, bringing broad criticism on the treatment of juvenile offenders in the justice system of the state of Florida.
8.
On May 23,2005, Lionel Tate was charged with armed burglary battery, armed robbery, and violation of probation, the Broward County Sheriff's Office said.
9.
Lionel Tate threatened Domino's Pizza deliveryman Walter Ernest Gallardo with a handgun outside a friend's apartment after phoning in an order.
10.
Lionel Tate then re-entered the apartment, assaulting the occupant who did not want Lionel Tate inside.
11.
On March 1,2006, Lionel Tate accepted a plea bargain and was to be sentenced to 30 years' imprisonment in a sentencing hearing in April 2006.
12.
Lionel Tate was allowed to withdraw his guilty plea for robbery but was finally sentenced to 30 years in prison on May 18,2006, for violating probation.
13.
On February 19,2008, Lionel Tate pled no contest to the robbery and was sentenced to 10 years in state prison.
14.
Lionel Tate is currently imprisoned in the Hamilton Correctional Institution Annex.