Should minors be tried as adults for serious offenses?

[bandnamexmyname]

Murder, rape, etc.

[Enolase]

My opinion: If you're old enough to murder/rape someone, you're old enough to be tried as an adult.

[sleepyseanzzz]

that malvo kid from the dc sniper shootings should be

[perceptrons]

My opinion: If you're old enough to murder/rape someone, you're old enough to be tried as an adult.
Thankfully, the justice system does not share your inane view.

[spiffa0]

I believe in eye for an eye. Bring back Hammurabi

[xsandwichesx]

My opinion: If you're old enough to murder/rape someone, you're old enough to be tried as an adult.
This.

[sargentlgfuad]

Depends.

[Alex_supertramp]

Depends.

success. The world can't be as black and white as everyone seems it should be. There are always exceptions to the rule.

[karadoll]

Depends.
This.

[x togepi x]

i do find it funny that we have statutory rape laws that suggest that someone under the age of 18/17 isn't morally culpable enough to consent to sexual activity yet we have a hard on (pun intended) with charging people the same age as adults for crimes.

it's weird that 16 year old me wasn't adult enough to have sex but totally was morally culpable enough to commit adult crimes.

[CollectiveConfusion]

case by case basis

[bite2brkskn12]

Depends on how old you are. Some states like new york, the adult age is 16. Should be done on a case by case basis. There are kids who really don't know what they are doing even at 16 and there are kids at 10 who are fully aware of what they are doing.

[Debut_Fin]

You should be punished based on the severity of your crime and whether or not you were aware of what you were doing (age and/or mental well-being considered here).

[SincerelyMe]

No. If we want to try minors as adults, we have to give them the same rights and privileges that come with being an adult, and actually treat them like adults.

[Juan Jose]

I think they should be, rape and murder are horrible things to do and I feel that everybody understands the difference between right and wrong unless they have a legitimate mental defect.

[tonighttonight0]

My opinion: If you're old enough to murder/rape someone, you're old enough to be tried as an adult.
Agree on this, although minors should never be put in the same prisons as adults.

[WTG]

Murder is murder, despite the age of the killer. The victim isn't all of a sudden alive again when a teenage gets out of juvy for a murder, are they? If you kill someone really from the age 13 up, you should be tried as an adult. Ages younger than that would have to be case-by-case. Same for rape. At the age of 13, you know what you are doing in these scenarios.

[zion the lion]

It depends on how young the rapist is, I remember someone (who worked for the school district) telling me a story about a kindergartner boy who tried to rape another boy.

[whiterussian]

With teenagers, I don't know. It's infinitely complicated when you're going to lock someone up for years. I'm glad I'm not a part of the process.

with pre-teens, this isn't so much a moral issue as a scientific one.
If a kid kills someone, is it a lost case or can he be turned around in the remainder of his/her development?

[saysmydoctor]

i do find it funny that we have statutory rape laws that suggest that someone under the age of 18/17 isn't morally culpable enough to consent to sexual activity yet we have a hard on (pun intended) with charging people the same age as adults for crimes.

it's weird that 16 year old me wasn't adult enough to have sex but totally was morally culpable enough to commit adult crimes.
This x12.

[caveBEAR]

Keep in mind, the thought-processes/decision-making abilities of teenagers isn't up to par with their adult counterparts due to their changing brain. Many of them literally act faster than they can think.

[Demilition]

Depends on how old you are. Some states like new york, the adult age is 16. Should be done on a case by case basis. There are kids who really don't know what they are doing even at 16 and there are kids at 10 who are fully aware of what they are doing.

16 is much too young to be classed as an "adult", sometimes I believe that 18 is too...

[Live4TheKingdom]

Big boy crime, big boy time.

/thread

[Theseventhson]

What are all these people doing in the politics forum?

[loveisdead]

Togepi said everything that needs to be said.

[SimplyPaige]

unless its tried as manslaughter i'd say yes. if it's an accident, it's an accident. but not a premeditated crime.

sick kids these days.

[Mibabalou]

larceny of anything should get the death penalty, no matter the age

[caveBEAR]

Big boy crime, big boy time.

/thread

If you have to '/thread' your own post, then the point you made wasn't as grand as you thought it was.

[Live4TheKingdom]

If you have to '/thread' your own post, then the point you made wasn't as grand as you thought it was.

And here I was thinking that this was the most grand thing ive ever posted. Thanks for the help bro.

[caveBEAR]

And here I was thinking that this was the most grand thing ive ever posted. Thanks for the help bro.

It very well may have been. That doesn't say much for you, though.

[Live4TheKingdom]

It very well may have been. That doesn't say much for you, though.

You obviously missed something huh?

[caveBEAR]

You obviously missed something huh?

Point out what I missed? The bumper sticker remark of 'Big Boy Crime/Big Boy Time' or you '/thread'ing your own post? Or was it when you said (possibly sarcastically) that you felt it was the grandest post you've ever made?

My responses to all still remain the same.

[deFobbed14yrs]

BEERfortheBear- 1
Live4Thekingdom-0

[Live4TheKingdom]

Point out what I missed? The bumper sticker remark of 'Big Boy Crime/Big Boy Time' or you '/thread'ing your own post? Or was it when you said (possibly sarcastically) that you felt it was the grandest post you've ever made?

My responses to all still remain the same.

My sarcasm

[Live4TheKingdom]

BEERfortheBear- 1
Live4Thekingdom-0

Dick rida

[caveBEAR]

My sarcasm

Wait, which part was sarcastic again?

[sjb2k1]

Yes some should. Should all minors be tried as adults? Hell no.

[Kiguel182]

You should be punished based on the severity of your crime and whether or not you were aware of what you were doing (age and/or mental well-being considered here).

While this is true I think even if a kid is mature enough/ is fully aware of what is doing maybe going to a regular prison maybe to extreme depending on the age.

So age should always be considered in the equation. Of coure, has it was said, this is not black and white and should be judge case by case.

[apoemtothedead]

Dick rida
/thread

[caveBEAR]

/thread

:lol:

[Jake Gyllenhaal]

In Connecticut, there is the Raise the Age Initiative (http://www.raisetheagect.org), where 16 and 17 year olds won't be placed in adult prisons. Their argument is that 16 and 17 year olds placed in juvenile detention centers will less likely commit recidivism when released as oppose to serving time in an adult prison as a minor.

[majinsharingan]

^^I can see the logic in that. Makes sense.

Depends on the crime, depends on the person. But we're an incredibly lazy, impersonal, and selfish society. It'll be one or the other.

[iloveanimals]

A 6 year old kid murderer who has no idea what he's doing should be PROSECUTED TO THE FULL EXTENT OF THE LAW. 'MERCA. DEATH PENALTY. GRIZZLY WINTERGREEN CHEWIN TOBACCO. THAT IS ALL.

[caveBEAR]

A 6 year old kid murderer who has no idea what he's doing should be PROSECUTED TO THE FULL EXTENT OF THE LAW. 'MERCA. DEATH PENALTY. GRIZZLY WINTERGREEN CHEWIN TOBACCO. THAT IS ALL.

:lol:

The best part is that he probably thinks this is some biting commentary...
:rolleyes:

[Theseventhson]

:lol:

The best part is that he probably thinks this is some biting commentary...
:rolleyes:

I thought you posted that before I looked at the username.

[Mitch]

I thought you posted that before I looked at the username.

Hahaha so did I.

[caveBEAR]

I thought you posted that before I looked at the username.

The excessive caps should have been a dead giveaway. The only time I use all caps is when it's right above the viking smiley.



LIKE THIS!
:viking:

[ghostyouare]

My opinion: If you're old enough to murder/rape someone, you're old enough to be tried as an adult.
Especially if they themselves had been raped. Clearly they didn't learn that behavior from some where else. -- I'm not giving a free pass but to think it's as simple as "being old enough to physically rape some one" makes them an adult or aware of their actions.

[crackedthesky]

I think they should be, rape and murder are horrible things to do and I feel that everybody understands the difference between right and wrong unless they have a legitimate mental defect.

And you don't think being young and not having a fully-developed brain is a legitimate mental defect?

[Jake Gyllenhaal]

And you don't think being young and not having a fully-developed brain is a legitimate mental defect?

Same reason military recruiters target 18-year olds

[crackedthesky]

Same reason military recruiters target 18-year olds

Because they don't understand the concepts of life and death or the relationship between actions and consequences?

[Jake Gyllenhaal]

Because they don't understand the concepts of life and death or the relationship between actions and consequences?

http://www.ringnebula.com/Oil/recruiting-children.htm

Adolescence has long been recognized as a time when impulsive and risk-taking behaviors increase. As adolescence gives way to adulthood, learning to gauge risk with greater precision gradually proceeds. Modern neuroscience tools, including Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) and Positron Emission Tomography (PET) scanning techniques have now shown that adolescent stereotypic behavior is based on a phase of structural brain development.
...
It is during adolescence, when changes in brain structure and function result in the characteristic behaviors of that age, that teens are actively recruited toward and into the military. The techniques employed by military recruiters directly target the unique functional brain development characteristics of the adolescent; that targeting appears to be purposeful.

I know this is off topic to the thread, but when the brain functioning of adolescence was mentioned, I was reminded of this.

[crackedthesky]

http://www.ringnebula.com/Oil/recruiting-children.htm



I know this is off topic to the thread, but when the brain functioning of adolescence was mentioned, I was reminded of this.

Also explains the driving age.

I've done this argument too many times, so I'll just say this:

We established a difference in trying as minors vs. trying as adults for a legitimate, medical reason. Severity of the crime is not a valid justification for ignoring hundreds of years of psychological study :shrug:

[Enolase]

Especially if they themselves had been raped. Clearly they didn't learn that behavior from some where else. -- I'm not giving a free pass but to think it's as simple as "being old enough to physically rape some one" makes them an adult or aware of their actions.
I stand by my statement but I guess I should have mentioned "as long as they understand what they are doing". My opinion: A really young kid won't really understand what they're doing, but 12+ most likely do and should be thrown in a non-adult jail, over 18 should just be sentanced to death.

[Juan Jose]

And you don't think being young and not having a fully-developed brain is a legitimate mental defect?

Are you talking about children or adolescents 12+? Little kids are obviously not developed mentally, I was assuming the OP meant kids in high school and middle school, even if they aren't 18 they can understand the damage they're doing by taking a life or raping someone.

[crackedthesky]

Are you talking about children or adolescents 12+? Little kids are obviously not developed mentally, I was assuming the OP meant kids in high school and middle school, even if they aren't 18 they can understand the damage they're doing by taking a life or raping someone.

At what age do they automatically and suddenly understand this?

[jawstheme]

Intent should play a major role, but short answer: No

[samsara]

It depends on the circumstances. There isn't a one size fits all for the crimes that are committed by kids underage.

[anthony_kid]

I stand by my statement but I guess I should have mentioned "as long as they understand what they are doing". My opinion: A really young kid won't really understand what they're doing, but 12+ most likely do and should be thrown in a non-adult jail, over 18 should just be sentanced to death.


That is an absolutely insane response. Children around the age of 12 and even as far as their late teens can be easily influenced by a large pool of factors. To say that a 12 year old consciously thought through his options and eliminated them all but murder, rape, etc. is ignoring so much information and years of psychological study as I believed was already pointed out to you.

I remember reading a news story a while back about a kid who was set on fire by three other kids for stealing a bike or something. Obviously this is horrible and completely unacceptable. But to say that the kids did not overreact because they were feeding off of each other would be ignorant. I doubt if it were only one child doing the damage that he would have gone as far to set the other kid on fire.

[Jake Gyllenhaal]

That is an absolutely insane response. Children around the age of 12 and even as far as their late teens can be easily influenced by a large pool of factors. To say that a 12 year old consciously thought through his options and eliminated them all but murder, rape, etc. is ignoring so much information and years of psychological study as I believed was already pointed out to you.

I remember reading a news story a while back about a kid who was set on fire by three other kids for stealing a bike or something. Obviously this is horrible and completely unacceptable. But to say that the kids did not overreact because they were feeding off of each other would be ignorant. I doubt if it were only one child doing the damage that he would have gone as far to set the other kid on fire.

The murder of three year old James Bulger (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Murder_of_James_Bulger) by a pair of ten year olds named Robert Thompson and Jon Venables is one of the more famous cases of children murdering a child.

[crackedthesky]

That is an absolutely insane response. Children around the age of 12 and even as far as their late teens can be easily influenced by a large pool of factors. To say that a 12 year old consciously thought through his options and eliminated them all but murder, rape, etc. is ignoring so much information and years of psychological study as I believed was already pointed out to you.

I remember reading a news story a while back about a kid who was set on fire by three other kids for stealing a bike or something. Obviously this is horrible and completely unacceptable. But to say that the kids did not overreact because they were feeding off of each other would be ignorant. I doubt if it were only one child doing the damage that he would have gone as far to set the other kid on fire.

I don't know how to make the applaud smiley, but if I did, it would be right here.