Joan Hoyt is a business professional and family woman from Santa Cruz, California. Although she has proudly served her county as a juror before, a 2024 jury duty assignment opened her eyes to the harsh realities of a criminal justice process she would have never thought was real prior. Her assignment included listening to the heartbreaking facts of Madyson Middleton’s gruesome 2015 murder, then deeming whether Madyson’s murderer should be released from juvenile incarceration in February of 2025, only ten years later. And when the jurors learned this process will occur every two years in perpetuity because of laws placed in effect after Madyson’s murder, Joan and her fellow jurors began using all they witnessed as fuel towards making legal change. The Broken Cycle Media team is so deeply grateful Joan was willing to share her unique perspective with us today, and that she continues to fight for justice for Madyson and so many others. This episode is dedicated in loving memory of Madyson Middleton.
Sources:
California Supreme Court Upholds Law Protecting 14–15-Year-Olds from Transfer to Adult Court. (2022, July 27). National Center for Youth Law. https://youthlaw.org/news/california-supreme-court-upholds-law-protecting-14-15-year-olds-transfer-adult-court
Chun, M. (2025, February 28). Juror in Gonzalez trial urges reform of state bill that prevented him from being charged as adult, allows repeat chances for release. Lookout Santa Cruz. https://lookout.co/juror-in-adrian-gonzalez-trial-urge-reform-of-state-bill-that-prevented-him-from-being-charged-as-adult-allows-repeat-chances-for-release/story
Santa Cruz jury denies release of man convicted of murdering 8-year-old Maddy Middleton. (2025, February 20). ABC7 San Francisco. https://abc7news.com/post/maddy-middleton-death-santa-cruz-jury-denies-release-adrian-gonzalez-man-convicted-murdering-raping-8-year-old-girl/15934976/
For a list of related resources and non-profit organizations that can help, please visit http://www.somethingwaswrong.com/resources
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