Lionel Tate Accused of Violating Parol Because he had Pocket Knife

Lionel Tate Accused of Violating Parol Because he had Pocket Knife (Lionel: get out of Florida as soon as possible)
A teen whose life sentence in the beating death of a 6-year-old playmate was thrown out on appeal went before a judge Wednesday on charges he violated his probation by walking around late at night with a pocket knife. Lionel Tate, now 17, had been the youngest child in modern U.S. history to be given a life sentence. When he was freed from prison in January, he was given a year of house arrest and 10 years probation. If he is found to have violated his probation, the judge has discretion to put the teenager behind bars again for anywhere from a few days to life.  Henry Hunter, an attorney for Tate's mother, said it appeared the teen "didn't commit a crime or anything. He was out of the house. "I think this is something we can deal with. I don't think this is an outright violation," he said. Tate appeared before Judge Kathleen Ireland on Wednesday on a video hookup from jail to be formally notified of the charge. No future hearing dates were set, and he was being held without bail. [more ]