Guilty! As the gavel hits the sound block, everyone is amazed at the verdict. This teenage boy is sentenced to a life in prison without parole. As you read this in newspapers, magazines, and even online, what goes through your head? You may be thinking, “Why is this teen being tried as adult, he is just a kid?” While he is “just a kid”, and this is a widely held opinion, but it is not mine. Should minors who commit violent crimes be tried as adults? Absolutely. Just because minors are young they do have the ability to know what is right from wrong. Since these minors have committed the crime, they need to be held accountable. If a minor has acted as an adult, they need to be treated like adults. Lastly, minors need to know that their …show more content…
An eleven old gunman holds up a store for eight dollars. A pair of teenage girls rob and kill a cab driver. A pair of teenage boys rob a teacher using a .375 magnum. These are all cases where the minors got away with the crimes they committed. This is a good example of what happens when the justice system did not hold the minor accountable for the crime. In Florida 2001, fourteen year old Lionel Tate was charged with murder. He was “practicing wrestling moves” on his six-year old neighbor, Tiffany Eunick. People wondered whether he was actually practicing wrestling moves on her or brutally beat. The police experts say it was a brutal beating when they found 35 injuries on the poor girl. He was sentenced to life in prison with the possibility of parole. The difference between these two cases clearly highlights the way in which minors are held accountable for their crimes. In case A, there is no clear accountability shown to the minor which means the minor could theoretically commit the same crime again. In case B, the minor is held accountable for their actions and are less likely to repeat the crime, not that many that are treated as adults get the chance to repeat the crime.
So many minors these days are taught that they can settle anything with violence. Minors learn this behavior from watching their parents and peers. Some minors take this behavior to extreme levels. On January 29, 1979, Brenda Ann
These crimes are considered unethical resulting in fatal outcomes. Additionally, people tend to have compassion for juveniles when faced with criminal charges on account of age. Habitually children commit crimes since they believe their consequences are irrelevantly minor. This belief causes adolescence to continue their offences without thought of any consequences. In Baltimore police commissioner” Kevin Davis’ recent complaint that 90 percent of minors accused of serious crimes see their cases moved from adult court to the juvenile system” (Baltimore Sun 2017). Additionally, Davis believes juveniles accused of fatal crimes should become tried as adults which includes life without poral. Furthermore, the actions caused by juveniles may shape there lives
Too many minors have committed violent crimes and haven’t gotten the consequences they deserved. In Time magazine article, “Children without Pity” written by Nancy Traver, it shows how the crime rates are going up and many minors aren’t getting the consequence they need. Given the violence of their actions, minors who commit violent crimes should be tried as adults.
For example, sixteen-year old Sarah Kruzan was sentenced to life without parole for murdering her pimp. However, she is now 29 years of age, and says how she “deserved the punishment and that it is not okay to take anyone’s life” (Serwer, 1).In the same way how Sara Kruzan understood the wrong in her actions, minors can do the same and change their behaviour, allowing them to be respected by society once again. Another teen killer, Jacob Ind murdered his parents while they were laying in bed. However, Jacob and his brother were physically and emotionally abused by their parents. Years later, Jacob told a local news station that he killed his parents, because he was too “weak to directly confront them and that it was of pure selfishness” (Serwer,
In the film 15 to Life: Kenneth’s Story by Nadine Pequeneza the account of Kenneth Young appealing his sentence of four life terms without the possibility of parole is detailed. Young was only 15 years-old when he was charged as an adult for armed robbery and sentenced to life behind bars. Why is it okay for the justice system to charge adolescents as adults? As a nation we can’t logically expect children to be held to the same standards as adults and do so only when criminal courts deem it fit. Charging children as adults for any crime is not only a far cry from being a deterrent but it is also fails to provide justice for all of the individuals involved.
In today society there are many juveniles being sent to adult court for the crimes they committed. When a juvenile is sent to criminal court the juvenile can more likely be found guilty and receive harsher punishment than the adults that commits the same crime and any juvenile that is convicted and sentenced in juvenile court. Depending on which State the juvenile is located in depends on if the juvenile is automatically will be sent to criminal court. The question remains is should a juvenile be transferred to adult courts for the crime that has been committed? The juvenile might not be mature enough to understand the crime they committed, have psychologic issues or any other underlying issues for when the crime was committed. The age
Should everyone be judged on the same basis, regardless of age? Do minors who have committed serious crimes be tried just like their adult counterparts? In some parts of the United States, they are, but it is not as worthwhile as some believe. Using the articles “Experts Link Teen Brains’ Immaturity, Juvenile Crime” by Malcolm Ritter and “Juvenile Justice” by Carl Stoffers, and the podcast “Do Juvenile Killers Deserve Life Behind Bars?” by Nina Totenberg, judging teens as adults is not beneficial. Juveniles are still developing both mentally and physically, deserve a chance of redemption, and while it may not always work, juveniles should at least have an opportunity to change in rehabilitation.
Today, the court system in this country is divided into two groups when comparing juveniles and adults. One is the Adult Criminal Justice System, and the other is the Juvenile Justice System. The terminology can be very different between the two systems. For instance; if an adult is arrested, they will be subject to a bail hearing. If a juvenile is arrested they must go through a detention hearing. Adults have trials which can be decided by a judge or jury. Juveniles go through a fact finding hearing and don’t receive verdicts because they are adjudicated. “They are not found guilty, but delinquent or involved” (Komiscruk). Another difference between the two is that juvenile court rooms are usually closed to the public, which
According to Caldwell (1961) the juvenile justice system is based on the principle that youth are developmentally and fundamentally different from adults. According to Mack (1909) the focus of the juvenile justice system has shifted from “was the crime committed” to “why did the child commit the crime”, “how can we help the child”. When performing as it is designed and up to the initial intentions, the juvenile court balances rehabilitation (treatment) of the offender with suitable sanctions when necessary such as incarceration. According to Griffin (2008) in some cases juveniles may be required to be “transferred” to adult court. In this paper I am going to discuss the three primary mechanisms of waiver to adult court: judicial waiver
According to Street Law, a juvenile is any person who is not yet an adult. In most states and the District of Columbia, individuals under 18 years of age are considered juveniles. The District of Columbia along with most states in the United States view any person under the age of 18 that has committed a crime as a juvenile criminal. Acts of a juvenile crime include but are not limited to: truancy, smoking, drinking, theft, rape, murder, defiance towards parents or guardian, etc. A juvenile criminal can only be held in a juvenile institution until the age of 21, no matter how gruesome their offense may have been.
How would you feel if the police arrested kids all over our country to jail for just crossing the street the wrong way or pushing another kid on the playground? That is what is happening to many underage juvenile all over the United States; they are being sent to adult prisons for crimes that do not deserve such severe punishments. Why they were tried as adults is an enigma and we will explain why this is a terrible injustice. In 1899 children in between the ages of 7-14 were believed they were incapable of committing criminal intent. The court system back then believed that if enough evidence could be gathered to convince a jury, the underage person would be convicted and sent to an adult prison. Currently in our state, persons as
Juveniles are constantly being exposed to violence through movies, television, and video games. Young children, those age 13 and under, may find it natural to mimic these sources. Teenagers, fourteen and older, however, are beyond the stage of imitation. They no longer imitate actions they see on television or in the movies. They have reached a level of maturity that allows them to think and act for themselves. They are at an age where they can make up their own minds and decide for themselves to do things, such as bathe or prepare basic food items. These teenagers still need guidance in life, but no longer need someone to hold their hand.
Kids should be subjected to the measures of punishment that our judicial system is giving to them. Kids who show lots of enmity should be tried as adults. It is the only way to protect the innocent children. These kids know right from wrong, but they choose to do the wrong things and violence is wrong. As the laws have gotten stricter on discipline the kids have gotten wilder. When we let society tell us how to discipline our children then violent children is the result.
Many adults come up with many reasons why youth involve themselves with acts of violence, there is never an actual answer to why they committed the crime, but the question of why they are being tried as an adult. Vicious misconduct is well-defined by the Division of Juvenile Justice as “murder, rape, severe attacks, and theft. These are all actions that sound terrible and cause for harsh consequences. Unluckily, there is an increasing development of adolescent violence; even “kids” under the age of sixteen are engaging in these vicious acts. When a child comes of age, they advance to being able to enjoy but not abuse adult liberties. Adolescents attain a
The Juvenile justice system has changed over the years. Before the first establishment of this system, courts and judges treated juveniles as adults and sometimes received the same punishment as adults. For many years, there were debates on if children before the age of 21 were responsible for their actions seeing as they aren’t fully capable of understanding their actions. This murder of Jamie Bulger created an uproar all over the world on children at such a young age know right from wrong and also violence. Backgrounds, and family upbringing and violence in the media had played a
We live in a society today, juvenile justice is a concern for law enforcement. One thing is for sure and that whether or not to try teens should be tried as an adult and be given adult sentence. In all of the states there are juvenile justice systems where teens are tried and put into juvenile jail . The main focus of these jails are to help them thru rehab t and make them better it just not a punishment . The thing is there so many teens out there being tried as an adult.. Although some people want the death sentence for teens there still doesn't exists only teens get life sentence instead but these juveniles do not deserve to be treated this way they should be treated better; they deserve a chance for a better life, a chance to change, and they are not going to have this chance in prison. Juveniles should not be tried as adults.