Willie Bosket Law

Bosket's Crimes

New York dramatically changed its juvenile justice system in the wake of two homicides committed on the New York transit system by 15-year-old Willie Bosket. Public and political sentiment, as a result of the crimes, was to get tough with violent, predatory juvenile offenders. Just a short time before the two homicides and another shooting that resulted in serious injury to the victim, Bosket got into a fight with a drug dealer who was trained as a boxer. During the fight, the drug dealer fell to his death from a tenement rooftop. Bosket was charged with two counts of murder and one count of attempted murder. He pled guilty to the three felonies. The juvenile court judge administered the most punitive penalty available in the juvenile justice system, which was 5 years; Bosket would be released when he reached the age of 21. He escaped from the juvenile facility at age 16. He was sentenced to 4 years in an adult facility for the escape since he was considered an adult at age 16 under New York law. At age 20, he was returned to the juvenile facility to serve his remaining time for his original juvenile convictions. After his release, he was later convicted of attempted assault and was sentenced to 3% to 7 years in prison. While in prison, Bosket was convicted for arson and two counts of assault. These convictions resulted in a persistent offender sentence of [Page 904]25 years to life for his third felony conviction. He would later be convicted of attempted murder for stabbing a correctional officer as well as other subsequent assault charges.

Bosket's Background

Willie Bosket, Jr., was born on December 9,1962, to Laura and Butch Bosket. At the time of his birth, Butch Bosket was in prison for a double homicide. Willie Bosket's criminal career and involvement in the criminal justice system had very striking similarities with his father's, including identical criminal charges as well as placements. From a very early age, Willie Bosket was involved in thefts and assaults. Bosket was motivated by his reputation on the streets, which rewarded violence and intimidation. Common themes of his adolescence were feelings of abandonment, such as when he was left at Bellevue Hospital and Wiltwyck (a juvenile facility), and rejection by parents. He also expressed a desire to imitate his father in terms of his criminal career. While he was in Wiltwyck, Bosket assaulted other youth, lit a youth's bed on fire, made numerous attempted and successful escapes, and assaulted staff (biting, kicking, punching, strangulation, and assault with a board with nails, pool cue stick, scissors, and chairs). The decision was finally reached to transfer Bosket from Wiltwyck to Bellevue. While at Bellevue, he also set another bed on fire with a sedated patient and assaulted staff. By age 13 he had served 3% years in a number of juvenile institutions. Bosket had been in and out of numerous institutions as a result of escapes, transfers, and ineffective case management.

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