Should Juveniles be Tried as Adults?

Subject  > Law & Government Essays  > Law  > Issues

A juvenile, or minor, is defined as any person under the age of 18 in the juvenile justice system. (Jacobs, 2003) This is someone who is not an adult and is not eligible to vote or buy alcohol, tobacco, or firearms. They can’t buy a home, enter adult-only clubs, or get married. Yet, on occasion, when they commit a crime, they can be eligible to be tried as an adult in the criminal justice system. How can we charge a juvenile as an adult when we establish an age limit for everything else? Is it fair for one person of seventeen to be tried in a juvenile court, receiving a lesser sentence for murder than an ...

... the offense. The only clear and logical step is to take whatever action necessary towards crime prevention in today’s youth. BibliographyButts, J. A. (2009, October 20). Criminal Justice Magazine. Retrieved October 20, 2009, from American Bar Association: http://www.abanet.org/crimjust/cjmag/15-1/butts.htmlFrontline. (2008). Does Treating Kids Like Adults Make a Difference? Retrieved October 24, 2009, from PBS.org: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/juvenile/stats/kidslikeadults.htmlFrontline. (2009, October 28). Juvenile Justice. Retrieved October 28, 2009, from PBS.org: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/juvenile/bench/different.htmlFrontline. (1999). Juvenile Vs. Adult Justice. Retrieved October 24, 2009, from PBS.org: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/juvenile/stats/juvvsadult.htmlFrontline. (2008). Shawn. Retrieved October 23, 2009, from PBS.org: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/juvenile/four/shawn.htmlHile, K. (2003). Trial of Juveniles as Adults. Philadelphia: Chelsea House Publishers. Hossain, D. Z. (2009, October 22). Juvenile Deliquency. Retrieved October 22, 2009, from Dr. Zak Hossain's Home Page:

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