Why are "kids" allowed to get charged as adults?

[palerider500]

If you're capable of murder, you're an adult. It's that simple dude.

So a 9 year old murders his brother. That transforms him into an adult?

So a teacher that sleeps with him would no longer be guilty of having sex with a minor?

Because he's now an adult right?

 

[Oblivian]

Because the law should be consistent making it either black or white.

Yes, because every crime is consistent and along the same circumstances. There are no such things as aggravating and mitigating factors. People that try to categorize everything as black and white probably have the most simple minds in the world.

 

[bufetadanacara]

The cut off age should be 15.

15 and over are charged as adults, all the time.
14 and under are minors.



If by 15 years old, the person still can't distinguish between right and wrong, then they are probably a bad seed and are good for nothing anyway.

 

[Organic Damage]

Guessing originally it was so they could kill black kids legally

lol, I wasn't going to say it... "Superpredator" ring a bell, anyone?

IMO, if you admit that a juvenile might commit irrational or ill-considered acts, whether the act is a misdemeanor or a felony (or innocuous as opposed to heinous) shouldn't be able to be used to bump them up to adult sentencing. Premeditation is another thing, however.

People want to believe "some kids are just evil and irredeemable" but how do you know if you just lock them away in crime school at such a young age that becoming a career felon is their destiny?

 

[JosephDredd]

By contrast, how about when an adult commits a childish crime (vandalism, shoplifting, etc.), why don't we charge them as minors?

It seems to be a misbalance of justice when prosecutors can argue to try a child as an adult but the defense can't argue to try an adult as a child.

Mentally handicapped adults do not go through the typical judicial process because of their lack of mental faculty.

 

[Bagatur]

What is an adult crime?

A crime is a crime. Plain and simple.

An adult and a child can kill. An adult and a child can steal.

violent crimes are adult crimes. if you are capable of hurting badly another person, I dont give a shit how old you are.

 

[palerider500]

violent crimes are adult crimes. if you are capable of hurting badly another person, I dont give a shit how old you are.

Circular reasoning and terrible logic.

Every human has the capacity to commit violent crimes. Yes, even 7 year old children. Should they be charged as adults too?

Where do you draw the line?

And again, a violent crime is a violent crime. Kids, dogs, and even CATS can commit them. Should cats be charged as adults too in the court of law?

 

[Pied Piper]

What about those kids that did an armed home invasion in Florida and forced the boy in the house to have sex with his mom then poured cleaning solutions on his eyes and made him drink bleach? Do they get to go to juvie and get out when they're 18?

jesus christ

 

[Possum Jenkins]

Serious question. I never heard a good answer. Perhaps you guys could change my mind.

Seems pretty simple to me: If you're a minor, you should get charged as a minor. If you're an adult, you should get charged as an adult.

Do you Agree or disagree?

The only real answer is: people really, really like revenge so when they hear a minor committing a real bad crime, they want this feeling of revenge to be satisfied ASAP.

But the reality is, scientists have have determined that judgment and decision-making are greatly affected by age and maturity. Since there has to be a cutoff point somewhere, it's been determined that that point is 18. Under that you're a minor, at or above an adult.

It really should be cut and dry. But for most people it's "18 and above you're an adult, 17 and below you're a minor... unless you do something that really, really pisses me off... then you're an adult"

It's fucking retarded. 17 and below are minors no matter the crime.

 

[Iceberg Slim]

Immature shit.....charge them as juveys
Evil shit....charge them as adults

Basically this. Kids are going to see what they can get away with. If a good kid tries a smaller crime (stealing, selling weed, etc) and gets sent to juvi, maybe he'll reform so we wipe the record clean and let him have a fresh start. We don't want kids using that to get away with murder though.

 

[ralphc1]

These "children"are worse than many adults. The Wisconsin youth prison is having all kinds of trouble with "children" attacking staff at the prison. Here's an article about a teacher who was beaten unconscious.

IRMA, Wis. (WSAW) -- "Look at me! What's it going to take? Someone getting killed? An all-out institution riot?" Pandora Lobacz asked.

Lobacz, a teacher who was punched in the face by a student at Lincoln Hills School in Irma, Wisconsin, said that's what she told managers after she regained consciousness from being knocked out last Wednesday.

Lobacz said staff assaults happen constantly at the state's only youth prison. Doug Curtis, a former youth counselor there and current union representative for LHS employees said about 30 people are currently on leave for physical assaults. Gray affiliate WSAW has requested information about any attacks by a juvenile on a staff member from the Department of Corrections. That request for information has not been fulfilled as of Tuesday night.

http://www.weau.com/content/news/451477353.html

 

[palerider500]

The only real answer is: people really, really like revenge so when they hear a minor committing a real bad crime, they want this feeling of revenge to be satisfied ASAP.

But the reality is, scientists have have determined that judgment and decision-making are greatly affected by age and maturity. Since there has to be a cutoff point somewhere, it's been determined that that point is 18. Under that you're a minor, at or above an adult.

It really should be cut and dry. But for most people it's "18 and above you're an adult, 17 and below you're a minor... unless you do something that really, really pisses me off... then you're an adult"

It's fucking retarded. 17 and below are minors no matter the crime.

THIS Times 1000. You have actually articulated my point even better than I could.

The issue really SHOULD be cut and dry.
18 or older= Adult.
17 or younger= Minor.

No matter the crime, personal feelings do not matter. Consistency does.

 

[scorpipede]

Serious question. I never heard a good answer. Perhaps you guys could change my mind.

Seems pretty simple to me: If you're a minor, you should get charged as a minor. If you're an adult, you should get charged as an adult.

Do you Agree or disagree?

I tend to agree. I read some of the responses and there are some good points although I think we put it on the courts to adjust. Don't allow for a case to take up more of the court's time deciding if a crime is heinous enough for adult court. Let's have a cut and dry rule and have the difference made during the sentencing process. We have enough trouble deciding if someone is fit to stand trial. If age is a factor then pick an age that's the cutoff and consider that during sentencing. Streamline the process. First in first out people. Thanks for coming.