A New York judge got tough with a 15-year-old boy convicted of mugging a 73-year-old man, sentencing him for 2 to 6 years in juvenile detention. The judge said he would have given the boy the same 1 to 4 year state prison sentence as a youthful offender that he gave his accomplice if he had taken responsibility for the crime rather than taking back his initial confession. Because the boy with the 2 to 6 year sentence was not convicted as a youthful offender, his crime — unlike that of his accomplice — will stay on his record after he serves his time.

The New York Daily News reports the boys attacked the victim in December, punching him in the face and kicking him in the head before stealing 7 cents from him. The boy’s lawyer said she was disappointed that the judge didn’t treat her client as a youthful offender.

Syracuse teen gets 2 to 6 years for robbery that netted 7 cents; judge: denying crime ‘cost you’ [New York Daily News]

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