Charging Juveniles as Adults

1541 Words7 Pages
By Jamie Makey 9/18/13 Juveniles think, act, and understand life differently than adults. Juveniles respond differently to circumstances in their lives. Juveniles do not have the same rights and responsibilities that adults have. They often are not mature enough to understand the consequences of their actions. The law does recognize these differences, but, a Juvenile, like an adult, makes the choice to commit a crime or not. Therefore, like an adult, they must be held accountable. A Juvenile Delinquent is defined as an individual under the age of 18 who commit acts which would be unlawful if committed by an adult. More juveniles are growing up now without cooperating peacefully with the law than ever before. Many of them often pay a low price even when caught. However, being young should not be an excuse for not going to jail. There should be no free ride for people under the age of 18. Some people believe that young criminals should not even be in school, but rather, a sort of Boot Camp. In Boot Camp the juveniles would be trained as mini marines and learn discipline. However, juveniles who commit less serious crimes should have to do a number of hours of community service. That way, they are still getting the punishment they deserve while staying out of trouble. People often think that adolescents in juvenile court are tried and let go lightly. However, a youth is more likely to spend more time in the juvenile system for a crime than the adult system. Therefore, adult sentences do not diminish the number of juvenile crimes. There are several case studies that show the different points of views people have on this topic. Colt Lundy was 15 when he decided to murder his abusive stepfather, Phillip Danner. He often bullied 12- year- old Paul Henry Gingerich and 12-year-old Chase Williams. On the day of the murder, Colt ordered
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