Do you think minors should be tried as adults?
By earthsong
@earthsong (589)
United States
November 2, 2008 10:14am CST
I am doing a research paper for my English Comp 1 class and the topic is Juveniles being tried as adults and whether they should be considered for life without parole.
So what do you think? Why? Is this just your opinion or have you done any research of your own on this issue?
I'm not using this for my paper, unless you are a psychologist and I can site you as a source and you agree, but I am interested in what everyone thinks about it.
4 responses
@jessieBee (1046)
• Trinidad And Tobago
3 Nov 08
I only think they should be tried as adults according to the crime that has been commited. such as murder, gang rape and any other crime that they put alot of thought too before they commited it.
Now i don't know about you country, but where i'm from teens do alot of crimes that they had well thought through before commiting it. some don't care about the fact that they had taken someones life away. They don't even feel sorry for the people that they have caused pain too and there family. then i don't see any good reason for just jailing them for 2-3 years then letting them back into soceity.
Yes there are those that feel sorry for there actions after, who take full responsibility for what they have done and want to get a second chance at life to try to somehow make up for what they did. But we both know that good deeds can never bring back a life.
@earthsong (589)
• United States
15 Nov 08
Unfortunately, it sounds like its the same in all countries. Although I disagree that they put a lot of thought into it. I think a lot of times teenagers are so impulsive that things just escalate. I had to write a paper on this topic, which is why I asked. I had to choose one side or the other. After all of the research I did I honestly don't think there is any clear cut side. I think it all depends on the circumstances, and whether or not premeditation can be proven. One big thing that swayed me was the story of a 15 year old boy with known mental illness and who was mentally retarded. He broke into a home and stole some toys and because of his age they tried him as an adult and kept him in an adult holding facility.
@ashewalton (42)
• Canada
2 Nov 08
If you're going to begin trying minors as adults, you have to be able to draw a definitive line between when a person "knows better" and can make good decisions for themselves. A minor (in Canada), is ANYONE under the age of 18. So, if a small child of six was to commit a crime such as theft, they should be tried as an adult, who knew all the consequences of their actions? Absolutely not, because they child almost definately didn't know the full consequence and only thought "I really want that toy/candy/whatever."
@earthsong (589)
• United States
2 Nov 08
There are already lots of cases of minors tried as adults. There is also a lot of things that are not taken into consideration when deciding whether or not to try a minor as an adult. Their ability to understand the consequences of their actions doesn't really seem to be part of that decision. In the U.S. I haven't come across anything about anyone younger than 12 being considered as being tried as an adult.
Mind you, we are talking violent crimes line rape and murder, not theft, unless it was armed.
@stephcjh (38473)
• United States
3 Nov 08
Yes. I think they should be tried as adults if they have done an offense that they clearly knew better about and had no remorse for it.
