Research Paper on Juvenile Court
Age is Just a Number, Right?
In the year 1993, a 2-year-old boy, named Jamie Bulger was taken by two 10-year old boys and was injured and murdered. The two boys rested his body on a railroad track with the intention of blaming the train, which would cover up what they had done (Wilde 1).
Cameron Kocher a 9 year old from upstate Pennsylvania shot a rifle out of the window of his room and killed his 7-year-old neighbor, who was riding on a snowmobile (Schwartz 1).
Shocking isn’t it? Who would believe children at such a young age could commit such crimes. The real question is what happened to these cases? Do both children get the death penalty? And if not, what punishment do they receive? Should juveniles get trialed as adults?
That question has haunted many for decades now. But before we make any irrational decisions, let’s get to the facts. What exactly is a juvenile delinquent? Well it’s a child who commits acts that would be considered crimes if done by an adult. A child is considered a juvenile delinquent until they reach the of 18, 17 some states 16 (Britannica 1). Juvenile delinquency can include crimes like disorderly conduct, minor theft, rape and vandalism (Britannica 1).
Juveniles are usually tried in Juvenile Courts or also known as Family courts. The purpose of juvenile courts is to rehabilitate a delinquent and prevent from repeating behavior, instead of sentencing them to jail. “The systems rooted in the belief” that children have not matured entirely to be aware of their mistakes/actions ( Leora).
However juvenile courts didn’t always exist. It wasn’t until in Chicago 1899 the juvenile court of law was started. Before this new system, children would be trialed as adults (Britannica 1). One of the very first juvenile cases was in 1786 in colonial times. Children under the age of seven could not be held guilty for a serious crime. From the ages 8-14 it was said that their legal status was “ambiguous”. If you were over the age of 14 you would be
In the year 1993, a 2-year-old boy, named Jamie Bulger was taken by two 10-year old boys and was injured and murdered. The two boys rested his body on a railroad track with the intention of blaming the train, which would cover up what they had done (Wilde 1).
Cameron Kocher a 9 year old from upstate Pennsylvania shot a rifle out of the window of his room and killed his 7-year-old neighbor, who was riding on a snowmobile (Schwartz 1).
Shocking isn’t it? Who would believe children at such a young age could commit such crimes. The real question is what happened to these cases? Do both children get the death penalty? And if not, what punishment do they receive? Should juveniles get trialed as adults?
That question has haunted many for decades now. But before we make any irrational decisions, let’s get to the facts. What exactly is a juvenile delinquent? Well it’s a child who commits acts that would be considered crimes if done by an adult. A child is considered a juvenile delinquent until they reach the of 18, 17 some states 16 (Britannica 1). Juvenile delinquency can include crimes like disorderly conduct, minor theft, rape and vandalism (Britannica 1).
Juveniles are usually tried in Juvenile Courts or also known as Family courts. The purpose of juvenile courts is to rehabilitate a delinquent and prevent from repeating behavior, instead of sentencing them to jail. “The systems rooted in the belief” that children have not matured entirely to be aware of their mistakes/actions ( Leora).
However juvenile courts didn’t always exist. It wasn’t until in Chicago 1899 the juvenile court of law was started. Before this new system, children would be trialed as adults (Britannica 1). One of the very first juvenile cases was in 1786 in colonial times. Children under the age of seven could not be held guilty for a serious crime. From the ages 8-14 it was said that their legal status was “ambiguous”. If you were over the age of 14 you would be