This article hints the defense may argue an 'abuse excuse.'
Earlier this year, the defense team for Ramos asked a judge for permission to release potentially "mitigating" information about the teen's background.
"The defense team has exhausted all available resources and needs the assistance of the Court to obtain the Confidential Child Protective Team records for Defendant/Child to include: All case summary reports, psychological evaluations, any medical reports and any DVDs of interviews of [Ramos]," wrote Rosemarie Peoples, an assistant public defender, in a February motion.
"Investigation by the defense team of Defendant/Child has verified a history of trauma; however, without access to CPT records there is no ability to present to the Court substantial and competent evidence of the prior childhood trauma," the motion said. Details of that alleged trauma have not been released to the general public.