*Prosecutors said Monday they will not seek the death penalty against four people charged with murdering Washington Redskins star Sean Taylor because the accused shooter was a minor when the crime was committed.
See Also:The U.S. Supreme Court has ruled that people cannot be executed for crimes committed when they're under 18, and it's a well established legal principle that others involved in the same case as a minor cannot face the ultimate penalty if they are less directly responsible. Assistant State Attorney Reid Rubin filed notice Friday that the death penalty will be waived, reports the Associated Press. That means the four suspects could get a maximum of life in prison if convicted of first-degree murder after a trial scheduled to begin Aug. 25. Eric Rivera Jr., who turned 18 last month, was 17 at the time police say he shot Taylor during a botched robbery at the Pro Bowl safety's Miami-area home in November. Taylor, 24, died of massive blood loss after he was shot in the upper leg. The Taylor family accepted prosecutor's explanation for the move, a family spokesman said. "All the co-defendants can't be subject to the death penalty if the (alleged) shooter is not," said Richard Sharpstein, a lawyer who has acted as spokesman for the Taylor family. "There are no issues of discretion here. There's no choice."
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