Justice Age Or Actions - 1643 Words

Justice: Age or Actions? In our society, a juvenile is eligible to vote at the age of 18, allowed to drive in some states at the age of 16, and permitted to drink at the age of 21. Therefore, it is logical to determine that a juvenile under the age of eighteen is mature enough to be charged as an adult when they commit violent crimes (Chiou, 131). According to the Justice Department, about ten percent of homicides occurring in the United States are committed by juveniles under the age of eighteen (abcnews.go.com). When the question of whether or not juveniles who commit violent crimes should be tried as adults arises, debates always surface. The debaters have a difficulty resolving this conflict because there are multiple perspectives on†¦show more content†¦Meanwhile, in a juvenile court, the delinquent has a â€Å"fact-finding hearing† and the amount of time the juvenile spends in a juvenile detention facility is determined by a single judge (www.lawcollective.org). The juveniles who commit ted violent crimes acquire an understanding that violating the law and harming people is not taken lightly. Allowing the young adult to speak in front of a jury on their own behalf provides opportunity for the public to determine if sentencing a dangerous juvenile to an adult prison will be beneficial to their safety. Furthermore, with adult crime comes adult sentence. When adults are found guilty of murder, there are certain states, such as Texas, that allow the criminal to receive the death penalty, therefore, when juveniles commit murder, a life is still lost. Conversely, there are people who say that the violent behavior children demonstrate is caused by their life experiences with poverty. As support of this belief, Don Boys declared, â€Å"However, poverty does not cause crime; crime causes poverty. Juveniles, like adults, commit crimes because they choose to do so. And they must be held accountable.† (www.chattanoogan.com). This is true because if a juvenile and an adu lt were to undergo the same life issues, and both commit murder, both should receive the same consequence. When an adult murders or rapes, the jury does not sympathize with the criminal