Should Juveniles Be Tried As Adults Research Paper
Joseph Kim
Mrs. Foley
Language Arts Period 7
February 4, 2015 Should a Juvenile Be Tried as an Adult For a Violent Crime? Did you ever ponder that if a juvenile should be tried as an adult? In my opinion, I believe a juvenile should not be tried as an adult. For example, they can change themselves. Though, juveniles should not be tried as an adult since their brain isn’t fully developed yet so they can’t comprehend the consequences fully, in other words children are not mature enough to be adults. Also juveniles should not be tried as an adult since they can get mentally hurt. I believe children can change drastically. For example, with appropriate treatment most children who commit crimes, even the most violent crimes can be rehabilitated and
can later on become responsible adults. Also the children can strive to become a better person since they may not want to go to jail later on in the future. Or they may have learned their lesson and may have matured more to learn the consequences of their actions, while they were in juvenile. Therefore the children in juvenile can change and should not have to be tried as an adult. A juvenile should not be tried as an adult since they are too young. Psychological research confirms what every parent knows that children, including teenagers, act more irrationally and immaturely than adults. Also I believe it is wrong to hold children and adolescents who have not reached legal age to adult standards. In other areas of law we recognize the differences between children and adults. Children are not permitted the same rights and responsibilities as adults such as, voting, smoking, and joining the military because we recognize their inability to make adult decisions. I believe that a juvenile should not be tried as an adult since they can get mentally hurt. Studies confirm that stressful situations only heighten the risk that emotion, rather than rational thought, will guide the choices children make. Also the Supreme Court recognized just this. In Roper v. Simmons, Justice Kennedy wrote, "any parent knows" and "scientific” and “sociological studies” that it tends to confirm that children possess a lack of maturity. An underdeveloped sense of responsibility and will take impetuous and ill-considered actions and decisions." Though some juveniles should be tried for a serious crime, I believe that they should not be tried as an adult at all since I think the system is not fair. I don 't think they should be tried as an adult unless it was for sure premeditated, intentional, or they just did some really horrible. For example the case back in 2001, there was an eleven year old boy who was left alone with his 6 year old cousin while the adult was sleeping. The adult was either his or her mother. They were rough housing, the girl got thrown up against the wall and died instantly. He got tried as an adult and was sentenced to life in prison without the chance of parole! That is just a true sign of how our system is unfair. I believe he should have never been tried, nor sentenced in my opinion. Although it was very unfortunate, it was still an accident. None the less they had a re-trial for him and he got out of prison at the age of 16. That scene had wrecked that little boy’s life! The death alone was enough to mess with his head, let alone being raised in a penitentiary! I believe that a juvenile should not be tried since the system is unfair and could destroy a child’s future.
Links: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anthony_Kennedy http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A11877-2005Mar6.html?nav=rss_nation/courts/supremecourt
http://www.nytimes.com/2001/01/26/us/boy-convicted-of-murder-in-wrestling-death.html
Mrs. Foley
Language Arts Period 7
February 4, 2015 Should a Juvenile Be Tried as an Adult For a Violent Crime? Did you ever ponder that if a juvenile should be tried as an adult? In my opinion, I believe a juvenile should not be tried as an adult. For example, they can change themselves. Though, juveniles should not be tried as an adult since their brain isn’t fully developed yet so they can’t comprehend the consequences fully, in other words children are not mature enough to be adults. Also juveniles should not be tried as an adult since they can get mentally hurt. I believe children can change drastically. For example, with appropriate treatment most children who commit crimes, even the most violent crimes can be rehabilitated and
can later on become responsible adults. Also the children can strive to become a better person since they may not want to go to jail later on in the future. Or they may have learned their lesson and may have matured more to learn the consequences of their actions, while they were in juvenile. Therefore the children in juvenile can change and should not have to be tried as an adult. A juvenile should not be tried as an adult since they are too young. Psychological research confirms what every parent knows that children, including teenagers, act more irrationally and immaturely than adults. Also I believe it is wrong to hold children and adolescents who have not reached legal age to adult standards. In other areas of law we recognize the differences between children and adults. Children are not permitted the same rights and responsibilities as adults such as, voting, smoking, and joining the military because we recognize their inability to make adult decisions. I believe that a juvenile should not be tried as an adult since they can get mentally hurt. Studies confirm that stressful situations only heighten the risk that emotion, rather than rational thought, will guide the choices children make. Also the Supreme Court recognized just this. In Roper v. Simmons, Justice Kennedy wrote, "any parent knows" and "scientific” and “sociological studies” that it tends to confirm that children possess a lack of maturity. An underdeveloped sense of responsibility and will take impetuous and ill-considered actions and decisions." Though some juveniles should be tried for a serious crime, I believe that they should not be tried as an adult at all since I think the system is not fair. I don 't think they should be tried as an adult unless it was for sure premeditated, intentional, or they just did some really horrible. For example the case back in 2001, there was an eleven year old boy who was left alone with his 6 year old cousin while the adult was sleeping. The adult was either his or her mother. They were rough housing, the girl got thrown up against the wall and died instantly. He got tried as an adult and was sentenced to life in prison without the chance of parole! That is just a true sign of how our system is unfair. I believe he should have never been tried, nor sentenced in my opinion. Although it was very unfortunate, it was still an accident. None the less they had a re-trial for him and he got out of prison at the age of 16. That scene had wrecked that little boy’s life! The death alone was enough to mess with his head, let alone being raised in a penitentiary! I believe that a juvenile should not be tried since the system is unfair and could destroy a child’s future.
Links: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anthony_Kennedy http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A11877-2005Mar6.html?nav=rss_nation/courts/supremecourt
http://www.nytimes.com/2001/01/26/us/boy-convicted-of-murder-in-wrestling-death.html