Teens Plead Guilty in Jonathan Lewis Manslaughter

Four Las Vegas teenagers pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter in the beating death of their classmate, Jonathan Lewis Jr., as part of a plea deal that prevents them from being tried as adults. Initially charged with second-degree murder, the teens faced significant public scrutiny due to a cellphone video of the attack that circulated on social media. Under juvenile law in Clark County, they will serve time in a juvenile detention center and can be released once they complete rehabilitation programs. The mother of the victim, Mellisa Ready, expressed outrage over the plea deal, feeling it does not hold the teens adequately accountable for her son's death. The district attorney's office defended the resolution, citing legal challenges and the juvenile system's focus on rehabilitation. In Nevada, juveniles aged 13 and older can be charged as adults for serious crimes, but these teens avoided such a designation.