Should juveniles be tried as adults?
President Bush stated "When America teaches her
children right from wrong and teaches values that
respect life in our country, our country will be
better off". This quote was released after a 15-
year-old boy shot and killed two classmates and
injured 13 at a high school near San Diego,
California. He will be charged as an adult under
state law.
I firmly believe that in cases of felonies such
as murder or arson committed by juveniles over the
age of reason, those juveniles should be tried as
adults. The ability to know the difference between
right and wrong is defined by as the age of reason.
In some states, they overlook the age of reason and
imply that juveniles under the age of 18 be tried
as adults for serious crimes and serve longer
sentences for the type of crime committed.
Some people who oppose trying a juvenile as
an adult may come to the conclusion that young kids
do not realize the finality of death when
committing murder. These people would argue that
since a juvenile does not directly know a person
then he doesn't understand that this person is a
human being. The juvenile may not consider the fact
that the victim may have a family and friends just
like themselves.
I disagree with this argument because the
juvenile understands that he is taking a life and
taking a life is not only wrong but cruel. Not
severely punishing this young adult could lead to
more criminal activity and convictions due to the
belief that punishment will be less severe because
they are a juvenile. If the state does not punish
the juvenile as an adult for the first severe
crime, then certainly the next time that same
juvenile commits another criminal act, the court
system should consider adult punishment.
Some other people would argue that the court
should punish the parent and not the juvenile.
How can parents control every action of their
child? By the age of sixteen, most teenagers have
their own cars, have gained much more freedom,
and
children right from wrong and teaches values that
respect life in our country, our country will be
better off". This quote was released after a 15-
year-old boy shot and killed two classmates and
injured 13 at a high school near San Diego,
California. He will be charged as an adult under
state law.
I firmly believe that in cases of felonies such
as murder or arson committed by juveniles over the
age of reason, those juveniles should be tried as
adults. The ability to know the difference between
right and wrong is defined by as the age of reason.
In some states, they overlook the age of reason and
imply that juveniles under the age of 18 be tried
as adults for serious crimes and serve longer
sentences for the type of crime committed.
Some people who oppose trying a juvenile as
an adult may come to the conclusion that young kids
do not realize the finality of death when
committing murder. These people would argue that
since a juvenile does not directly know a person
then he doesn't understand that this person is a
human being. The juvenile may not consider the fact
that the victim may have a family and friends just
like themselves.
I disagree with this argument because the
juvenile understands that he is taking a life and
taking a life is not only wrong but cruel. Not
severely punishing this young adult could lead to
more criminal activity and convictions due to the
belief that punishment will be less severe because
they are a juvenile. If the state does not punish
the juvenile as an adult for the first severe
crime, then certainly the next time that same
juvenile commits another criminal act, the court
system should consider adult punishment.
Some other people would argue that the court
should punish the parent and not the juvenile.
How can parents control every action of their
child? By the age of sixteen, most teenagers have
their own cars, have gained much more freedom,
and