Should Juveniles Be Tried As A Essay

, Research Paper

Adult Crimes Deserve Adult Treatment

Thursday, May 21, 1998. In Springfield, Oregon, 15-year old Kip Kinkel opened fire in the cafeteria

of Thurston High School. Two were killed and 25 others were wounded. Tuesday, March 24, 1998. In

Jonesboro, Arkansas, 11-year old Andrew Golden and 13-year old Mitchell Johnson pulled the fire

alarm and shot at the students filing out of the school. Five were killed and ten were wounded.

Monday, Dec. 1, 1997. In Paducah, Kentucky, 14-year old Michael Carneal pulled out a pistol and

began firing on a student prayer group. Three were killed and five others were wounded.

These incidents are only a tiny sample of the school shootings that have been committed by juvniles

in the United States. More shootings have happenned in Onalaska, Washington; Johnston, Rhode

Island; Endinboro, Pennsylvania; St. Charles, Missouri … the list continues on and on, not to mention

Columbine!

Lynbrook junior Stephanie Tsai disagrees with this saying, “At the age of 18, teens are allowed to

vote because people believe that by that age they can think rationally and sensibally. Until kids are

18, they cannot be held responsible for their actions.” Let’s examine this age 18 issue more closely …

Granted, our or society does give juvniles the right to vote at age 18. However, many states give them

the right to drive at age 16 and the right to drink at age 21. The fact is that declaring an 18 year-old an

adult is an arbitrary standard to determine maturity as far as prosecuting crime goes.

The juvenile court system was orginially implemented to protect juveniles from the “harsh” adult

court, for juvenile criminals were thought to be more mentally “immature” than adults. This may very

well be if we were speaking of a 6 year-old. However, 17 year-olds classify as juveniles as well. Are

we to say that 17 year-olds are significantly more “immature” and should “not be held rsponsible for

their actions” than that of an adult 18-year old? I wonder……..

Furthermore, if our justice system uses mental incompetency as the reason juveniles have their own

separate and more lenient court, why aren’t 40 year-olds with the mind of a 10 year-old prosecuted in

the juvenile justice system? Are they not mentally “immature” as well?

An incorrect assumption about this controversial matter is if the juvenile were to be prosecuted in the

adult court, he would be condemned with an adult sentence. The same goes for juvniles. If a 15 year-

old were truly mentally immature, the adult justice system would take that fact into account of its

decision and ruling.

While others may argue that the juvenile justice system has the juvenile’s best interests in mind,

basic freedoms such as due process are denied in the juvenile courts. While those prosecuted

in adult courts are entitled to a jury, juvenile sentences usually lay in the hands of an individual judge.

The simple fact is that fully competent and mature juveniles are fully capable of committing the same

crime as a competent adult. The results of the crime are the same. In burglary, an innocent person was

robbed of his posessions. In murder, an innocent person was robbed of his life. As Katrina Ng, Santa

Clara University freshman answered, “If they commit the adult crimes, they should pay the adult

consequences. It’s not as if they don’t know the difference between right and wrong.”

And even in the extreme cases where right and wrong were indistinguishable to the immature

juvenile, the adult justice system would be better equipped to prosecute him, allowing for mitigating

circumstances and giving due process. This way, justice is best achieved–on both sides.