Should Juveniles be Tried as Adults?
Violent crimes are committed in the United States
everyday. Almost one-half of them are committed by
teenagers ages 13 through 17 ("End of Line" 484). After the
crimes have been committed and the lives of these children
have been radically changed, society often demands that
those who commit violent crimes be tried as adults, rather
Juveniles should be given light sentences and a second
chance to return to the streets. Trying these teens as
adults unjust and unfair, there other alternatives that our
society can turn to, to help make our communities better
places to live. We need to realize that children are our
future, and we throwing their future away. We also need to
ask ourselves if we should possibly be punishing these kids
for not having stability in our homes, which is not their
Growing up in America today can be a very traumatic
experience facing many pressures and trials. The youngest
generation looks up to the teenagers for guidance but what
kind of example are today's teenagers many concerned parents
ask. There could be a much better example if the justice
system did not let them get away with so many violent
crimes. When a juvenile commits a crime he has a trial in a
juvenile court. The basic idea behind the juvenile court is
guardianship, the states acting for the welfare of children.
"The jurisdiction and procedure of the juvenile court have
been primarily chancery or equity rather than criminal
In a May 1987 issue of Business Week followed up on a
case when a 16 year old boy brutally raped and murdered a
26 year old woman in front of her two children ages four and
six. After the woman was dead the young man proceeded to
shoot the children. The children were not killed, but now
live with the horrifying memory of their mothers brutal
death. To make this story even more heart-crushing t
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