The father of a Utah teenager, who is facing up to 15 years in prison on robbery charges, has claimed that the poor legal advice unfairly upgraded his son’s plea deal sentence from 180 days in jail to 1 to 15 years in prison.
16-year Cooper Van Huizen was awarded with 1 to 15 years of imprisonment for taking part in a house robbery with friends.
The judgement has left his parents and closed ones terrified.
Huizen has admitted the crime and also told the court that he was carrying his dad’s unloaded guns, one of which was pointed at a victim who was ordered to lie down on his belly.
Cooper Van Huizen
Meanwhile, Cooper’s teenage co-defendants took plea deals and have been sentenced around 200 days in jail.
But Cooper copped the plea and got up to 15 years imprisonment. This makes him viable for being in a maximum security cell at Utah State Prison, under a camera’s watchful eye at all times.
“He’s just a nice, sweet young boy, always has been. He’s not this rough-and-tough wanna-be street-wise little kid,” said Cooper’s father.
The boy’s parents has appointed a new lawyer and have sought a fresh plea seeking a sentence reduction.
Cooper’s family hope the judge will let him withdraw his two guilty pleas to second-degree felony robbery
