1. Criminal Law and Appeals
Thursday, August 23, 2018

2. 14 year old male
Accused of shooting his Father, mother and sister (First degree murder charges)
Accused of taking money from his father’s wallet and his mother and sister’s purses (armed robbery charges)
Also accused of sexual assault

3. Juvenile Court or tried as an adult?

4. Juvenile Court or tried as an adult?
Multiple mental health experts testified and the court sent the case to Adult Court

5. Plea Bargain
in criminal procedure, a negotiation between the defendant and his attorney on one side and the prosecutor on the other, in which the defendant agrees to plead "guilty" or "no contest" to some crimes, in return for reduction of the severity of the charges, dismissal of some of the charges, the prosecutor's willingness to recommend a particular sentence or some other benefit to the defendant.

6. 14 year old male plead guilty to
One count of first degree murder
Two counts of second degree murder
One count of armed robbery

7. Sentence:
On the count of first degree murder: life sentence without the possibility of parole until 25 years served
On the 2 counts of second degree murder: a 21 year sentence on each
On the count of armed robbery: a 21 year sentence

8. Arizona Court of Appeals to Hear Arguments at Tanque Verde High School on September 5 TUCSON – Division Two of the Arizona Court of Appeals will be holding arguments at Tanque Verde High School on September 5. This is a rare opportunity to witness the judicial branch of government at work and watch attorneys present a real case to three judges from the Arizona Court of Appeals. The judges have identified State v. Helm, 2 CA-CR PR, and attorneys representing each side will have twenty-five minutes to present their case. Helm is a post-conviction relief proceeding involving Roger Helm’s 1985 guilty plea to the murders of his parents and sister and armed robbery in connection with the murders, offenses he committed when he was fourteen years old. Helm argues that his aggregate sentences, which total a minimum of sixty-seven years, essentially constitute an improper life sentence. The Court of Appeals is not an evidence-taking court, so there will not be witnesses or cross-examinations such as commonly depicted on television courtroom dramas. The focus of the arguments will be on Arizona law and the matters on appeal. After the case, the Court of Appeals judges will take questions from the audience, as long as those questions do not pertain to the case they just heard. Details are as follows:

9. Wednesday, September 5, 2018 at 9:30 AM Tanque Verde High School 4201 North Melpomene Way Tucson, Arizona For more information about the court system in Arizona, please go to