US boy appeals prison sentence imposed at age 12

INDIANAPOLIS: An Indiana boy who was 12 when sentenced to 25 years in prison for helping a friend kill the other boy’s stepfather says his case should have been handled in juvenile court.
The Indiana Court of Appeals will hear Paul Henry Gingerich’s case Tuesday.
The boy’s attorney says prosecutors and the judge failed to consider whether the sixth-grader was mature enough to be tried as an adult. Court documents say the only psychologist to evaluate Gingerich raised doubts about his ability to understand the legal process.
State attorneys say the boy waived his right to appeal as part of his plea agreement.
Gingerich, who is now 14, was accused in the 2010 fatal shooting of Phillip Danner. Investigators say it was part of a plan to run away to Arizona.