Worm Turns When a Teen Is Tried as an Adult

Letter to Romans: Karmelo Anthony’s murder verdict, despite self-defense claim, illustrated how naïve teens can be about criminal court justice. Consider Vincent Battiloro who was 17 when he allegedly drove over 2 teen girls & awaits being tried for murder as an adult…

But SHOULD Vincent be tried as an adult? Read on before deciding. New Jersey Prosecutors now say Battiloro was driving a Jeep in late Sept, 2025 when he hit & intentionally killed also 17-year-old Maria Niotis & Isabella Salas who were on electric bikes. He was arrested two days after what had been thought at first to be an accident, if reckless one, so he was originally processed through the juvenile court system with an eye toward “rehabilitating” him. Upon further investigation, however, a judge in June 2026 agreed to the prosecution’s request Battiloro be “waived” into adult court, where he now faces two counts of first-degree murder in Union County Superior Court. What police upon further investigation now allege to have happened, is that dashcams show Battiloro was parked as the girls passed him, made a U-turn, followed them & accelerated into the girls. Other allegations include past unwanted contact with one of the girls while Fox News reports Battiloro on the day after the mishap went on a YouTube gaming livestream marveling at the “engagement” he was receiving. In July, Battiloro consented to jail without bond while awaiting a grand-jury indictment.

While Battiloro is presumed innocent, his life will likely never be the same. Being tried as an adult means he faces two consecutive life sentences compared to a relative kid glove treatment in juvey court. Battiloro probably had no clue about how New Jersey decided he’d get tried as an adult. But he should know now it wasn’t just a trial judge making the call, but pursuant to a structure statutory process triggered by a formal “waiver” petition by the prosecution. A hearing before a "Family Part" judge then looks into the seriousness of the alleged crime & evidence presented by both sides. In NJ, the prospects for “rehabilitation” no longer defeat the waiver petition where there’s a “serious” crime alleged. Here, New Jersey's legislature feels running over two helpless girls on bikes qualifies as “serious.” What say ye?

Davd Soul