Names for Nate
The group Fans of Fieger has gathered nearly a thousand signatures on a petition seeking leniency in the Jan. 13 sentencing of Nathaniel Abraham and asking public officials to nix laws allowing juveniles to be prosecuted as adults.

Don Lemaire, an addictions counselor living in State College, Pa., wrote an introduction for the petition, which asks that Abraham be released with time served.

"It's seeking leniency for Nathan and to draw attention to the absurdity that we charge kids as adults and hold them accountable as adults, even though the way we hold adults accountable isn't working anyway."

Lemaire, who says he has worked as a consultant for various school districts, says he connected with petitioner Christine Bush of Chicago via a Court TV message board on the Internet, leading to the petition at www.fansoffieger.com. Along with the signatures, says Lemaire, there were hundreds of comments from as far away as France, India and Australia.

Lemaire says people were "frustrated and awe-struck that the United States is so naive" in terms of trying children as adults.

Lemaire says copies of the petition have been sent to various officials including the judge, Oakland County prosecutor David Gorcyca, Geoffrey Fieger and Gov. John Engler.