A Colorado teen convicted of killing her mother should inherit her mom's estate since she was a minor at the time of the crime, a lawyer claims.

Tess Damm, now 17, is serving a 23-year prison term for the second-degree murder of her mother, Linda.

Seth Katz, a lawyer for Linda Damm's estate, said the teen's lawyer is arguing that her age at the time of the crime means that Colorado's law barring killers from profiting from their crimes does not apply, the Boulder Daily Camera reported. Katz said allowing Damm to inherit would set a precedent in the state.

Damm was 15 when her mother was stabbed last year. The teen's boyfriend, Bryan Grove, is serving a 40-year prison term for his role in the crime.

In deciding whether this statute applies to her, the judge has to decide if a minor has the ability to make decisions like an adult and thus suffer the same consequences as an adult, Katz said.

Katz said he and Damm's lawyer, M. Tracy James, have taken the dispute to a mediator. Any settlement would have to be approved by a judge.

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