Maddy Middleton’s killer pleads guilty to all charges

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    SANTA CRUZ, California (KSBW) — A Santa Cruz man who was facing 126 years to life in prison for the murder of 8-year-old Maddie Middleton, is now going back to the juvenile court system where he could go free in four years.

In a Santa Cruz courtroom Tuesday, 21-year-old Adrian Gonzalez admitted to all charges in connection to the kidnapping, rape, and murder of Maddie more than five years ago.

“I’m glad the case is coming to an end it’s been hard especially for Maddyson’s family and our heart goes out to the family and everyone effected by it,” said Larry Biggam, Gonzalez’s defense attorney.

Gonzalez entered his guilty pleas the same day his case was transferred back down to juvenile court after a state supreme court decision earlier this year upheld a state law preventing anyone under 16 from being tried as an adult. Gonzalez was 15 when he murdered his young neighbor, just three months shy of turning 16.

“The crimes were absolutely horrific unconscionable, in every way, the coverup was unconscionable… never seen anything like it,” said Santa Cruz district attorney, Jeff Rosell.

Gonzalez who is now 21 could be released from the juvenile justice system when he turns 25. The prosecution and defense at odds as to whether Middleton’s killer can be reformed in four years.

“I think Adrian’s chances for change and growth and maturation are enhanced at the department of juvenile justice system especially compared to the adult prison system like Soledad or San Quentin,” said Biggam.

“Anybody who thinks about what happened how he was aroused during the process of killing her and all that who thinks that he’s going to be miraculously fixed by the age of 25 is wrong they’re sorely mistaken,” add Rosell.

When Adrian Gonzalez turns 25 there’s no guarantee he’ll be released from the juvenile justice system. The court can be petitioned to extend Gonzalez’s time in custody.

“They can do two year extensions indefinitely and a lot of that will depend really on the quality of his services and his response to that treatment,” said Gonzalez’s attorney.

But district attorney Rosell noted that the Department of Juvenile Justice is currently in the process of being reformed and it’s unknown if or who will be able to file for extensions.

“and since they’re disappearing the question is can anyone do it and the answer is we’re not sure at this point we’re going to have to see how this plays out,” Rosell said.

Gonzalez is scheduled to be back in juvenile court April 27 for sentencing.

SB 1391
In 2019 SB 1391 was ruled unconstitutional by a Santa Cruz County Superior Court judge before it was taken to the state supreme court.

In 2020, lawyers argued before the state supreme court on the constitutionality of the law. Some argue it’s unconstitutional because it overrides the will of the voters who passed Proposition 57 allowing judges not prosecutors to decide whether minors, including 14 and 15 year olds, should be tried as adults.

“We believe that the California juvenile system, as it stands today, cannot deal with a person such as Adrian Gonzalez we feel that he has to remain in the adult system in order to take care of him. He is not an innocent child that should be coming out when he’s 25 years old,” said Dan Middleton, Maddy’s grandfather, in an interview with KSBW 8 in November 2020.

But supporters of SB 1391 argue that prosecutors are politicizing the law and they say juvenile offenders no matter how egregious the crime they allegedly commit should remain in juvenile court where they qualify for release at age 25.

Gonzalez has remained behind bars in the Santa Cruz County jail.

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