"We are saddened and outraged by the murder of junior high school student Lawrence King," say the signatories to to Ventura County District Attorney Gregory D. Totten. "At the same time, we call on prosecutors not to compound this tragedy with another wrong – we call on them to treat the suspect as a juvenile, not as an adult."

The openly gay King, 15, attended E.O. Green Middle School in Oxnard, California, with McInerney, who is accused of fatally shooting King on February 12, 2008. King was said to have acted effeminate, wearing high-heeled boots, makeup and jewelry to school after coming out during the school year. He also revealed a crush on McInerney, possibly in jest in response to verbal cruelty, shortly before the killing.

The taunts were constant, said friends. "You'd hear, 'Faggot! Hey, faggot!'," said 13-year-old Mark Reyes to the Los Angeles Times. "That was happening in every class. A lot of teachers knew stuff was going on...I guess they just didn't want to be involved."

"The facts in this matter seem clear," the coalition's statement goes on: "One boy killed another in a climate of intolerance and fear about sexual orientation and gender expression.

"The alleged perpetrator, who turned 14 years old less than three weeks before the shooting, should be held accountable for his actions. But we support the principles underlying our juvenile justice system that treat children differently than adults and provide greater hope and opportunity for rehabilitation."

Brandon McInerney faces charges, as an adult, of premeditated murder, which could carry a 50-year sentence; prosecutors also plan to try the case as a hate crime, which could add 1 to 3 years. McInerney is scheduled be arraigned on May 8.

The entire statement is available in .pdf format here, courtesy of Lambda Legal.

The signatories are as follows:

American Civil Liberties Union of Northern California
American Civil Liberties Union of San Diego and Imperial Counties
American Civil Liberties Union of Southern California
Ally Action
Children of Lesbians and Gays Everywhere
Community United Against Violence
Different Avenues
Equality California
Gay-Straight Alliance Network
Gay & Lesbian Advocates & Defenders (GLAD)
Human Rights Campaign
LAGAI – Queer Insurrection
Lambda Legal
LifeWorks Mentoring
Los Angeles Gay and Lesbian Center
National Black Justice Coalition
National Center for Lesbian Rights
National Center for Transgender Equality
National Gay and Lesbian Task Force
Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG)
Safe Schools Coalition
San Francisco LGBT Community Center
Sylvia Rivera Law Project
TGI Justice Project
Transgender Law Center
The Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender Community Center
TransYouth Family Allies, Inc.