From the Center for Investigative Reporting in PRX, this is Reveal.

I'm Aledson.

It's early evening at the Nishoba County Courthouse in Philadelphia, Mississippi.

If you've heard of this Philly before, it may be because of the infamous 1964 murder

of three civil rights workers here, the Mississippi burning case.

A towering statue of a Confederate soldier keeps watch from the Courthouse lawn.

Inside, Felicia Higman, a tall woman with a calm demeanor, is taking stand.

Felicia's son, Isaiah, sits at the front of the courtroom in an orange jumpsuit.

His handcuffed and chained.

Isaiah is only 14, but in today's hearing, he's being treated as an adult.

We've believed his last name to protect his privacy.

Isaiah's tall like his mom.

So from the back, he blends in with other adults in the court that day.

Out of close, his doe eyes and lack of facial hair give his youth away.

The judge and the lawyers are questioning Felicia to determine whether Isaiah's case should

be transferred to the youth system.

That would mean getting out of the county jail where he's been waiting for court date

for nine months.

Nine months in adult jail.

That's the length of a whole school year.

So how does this happen?

Reporter Cobragke has been following Isaiah's case trying to figure that out.

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