By Michael Rummel | Law Week Colorado
In 1959, 14-year-old Bobby Gallegos was convicted of first-degree murder in Colorado. According to the U.S. Supreme Court opinion in Gallegos v. Colorado, the child and another juvenile tricked an elderly man into letting them into his hotel room, where they assaulted him, stole $13 from him and fled.
Less than 2 weeks later, Gallegos was caught by police and admitted to the assault and robbery. Just a few weeks after that, he was convicted in a juvenile court of “assault to injure.”
After his sentencing, the elderly man he assaulted died, which led to Gallegos being tried in state court—for first-degree murder.