Charges Still Being Considered In Burning Of Boy

By Marcus Gilmer in News on Jul 10, 2009 6:40PM

Prosecutors are still trying to decide if three boys will face charges in last month's burning of 9-year-old Joshua Judkins. The boys, ages 15, 14, and 13, claimed it was a prank gone wrong, but Judkins' parents thought otherwise, calling for hate crime charges. Last week, an announcement was made no charges would be filed, but Lake County juvenile prosecutors spokeswoman Diane Poulton told WBBM AM that the announcement was a "miscommunication." The original police report considered the burning a felony, criminal recklessness causing serious bodily injury. Authorities are awaiting the results of a separate FBI investigation before moving forward with any charges.