Should juvenile offenders be tried and punished with the death penalty as adults?
Juan Borrego
Grantham University
EN 102 English Composition II
Dr. Cynthia Williams
August 2010
SHOULD JUVENILE OFFENDERS BE TRIED AND PUNISHED 2
Abstract
This paper will focus on past cases of juvenile offenders that were given the death penalty based on reports found online (Internet). I will use that information to state in this paper ( non-Internet) the concept of the death penalty and the relationship with juveniles and adults. Many states incorporate the death penalty in their justice system for juveniles and adults alike. However, should the states give the same punishment to juveniles? Would it be fair to hold certain actions against a juvenile the same way they are held against an adult? Does the old idea of “An eye for an eye” really hold any weight in a fair trial? These are questions that I hope to answer in this paper. Keywords: Juvenile, death penalty, offender
SHOULD JUVENILE OFFENDERS BE TRIED AND PUNISHED 3
Should juvenile offenders be tried and punished with the death penalty as adults? The United States has different ways on how to handle it’s criminals. We live in a country that allows criminals be tried fairly and be judged by a jury of their peers. However, what if that criminal is a juvenile? What if that person that you have to decide their life is too young to comprehend what they have done? No one can ever imagine what went on in that person’s head while they committed a crime. So, those who are chosen to be members of the jury must be able to put their morals aside and come up with a reasonable solution to punish this criminal. Of course the first thing that everyone must think with they think about punishing someone who killed someone is to do the same on to them. However, is that just? Can we really use the