8 years

In answer to the post below and the poll to the left, the real-life Becky was sentenced as an adult after her assault conviction, and is currently serving an 8-year prison sentence.  As the New York Times notes in an article up today (here), by the end of the year New York will probably be one of only two states in the nation that still allow 16-year-olds to be sentenced as adults.  The article cites "studies that concluded that older adolescents differed significantly from adults in their capacity to make sound decisions, and benefited more from systems focused on treatment rather than on incarceration."

It is hard to know what the judge was thinking in Becky's case.  The probation department, after reviewing all of the facts and interviewing both Becky and the victim, concluded that a probation sentence with youthful offender treatment was appropriate.  But the probation folks don't wear black robes, and the department's recommendation was ignored in Becky's case. 

I'm working on the appeal for "Becky," and will be arguing it later this year.  Hopefully we'll have better luck with the judges down on East Avenue than we did at the Hall of Justice.