Should underaged kids serve adult time for crimes

[Deleted472477User]

Oh dear gods. this is a hard one. On the one hand I say yes, because then maybe they'll learn what they should have learned already about how to treat other people. We aren't talking about a fight or a scuffle, here. This little...young woman was out for blood, and so was her boyfriend.

 

On the other hand, sometimes kids go into those places and come out even worse. I don't have the answers for this one. It was obviously planned, but holy crap, the kid was 12! These kids need help now, in whatever way is most appropriate, before we read even worse things about them.

 

A couple of years ago, this utterly evil 17 year old girl put her room mate's kitten in the oven because he pissed her off. I won't go into how I felt about that, but the arguments ranged from 'OMG future serial killer, lock her up!' and 'Oh teh noes, she needs counselling and handholding and singing kumbiyah!'

 

I am fairly certain that whether you're 15 or 17, you know damned well that knifing a smaller and weaker boy or killing a defenseless kitten are WRONG.

[HeyYou]

Oh dear gods. this is a hard one. On the one hand I say yes, because then maybe they'll learn what they should have learned already about how to treat other people. We aren't talking about a fight or a scuffle, here. This little...young woman was out for blood, and so was her boyfriend.

 

On the other hand, sometimes kids go into those places and come out even worse. I don't have the answers for this one. It was obviously planned, but holy crap, the kid was 12! These kids need help now, in whatever way is most appropriate, before we read even worse things about them.

 

A couple of years ago, this utterly evil 17 year old girl put her room mate's kitten in the oven because he pissed her off. I won't go into how I felt about that, but the arguments ranged from 'OMG future serial killer, lock her up!' and 'Oh teh noes, she needs counselling and handholding and singing kumbiyah!'

 

I am fairly certain that whether you're 15 or 17, you know damned well that knifing a smaller and weaker boy or killing a defenseless kitten are WRONG.

 

Can make 100% certain they won't be a problem in the future if you just put a bullet in their head. Sometimes I wonder if that wouldn't be a better plan.

[Aurielius]

"Can make 100% certain they won't be a problem in the future if you just put a bullet in their head. Sometimes I wonder if that wouldn't be a better plan."

 

A tad draconian even for me, so I will assume that your tongue is firmly in your cheek? Though in my view any person over the age of ten that commits a capital crime should not be treated as just a naughty child but have to bear the consequences of that action by being removed from civil society for an extended duration and in some sociopathic cases permanently.

Edited August 1, 2011 by Aurielius

[HeyYou]

"Can make 100% certain they won't be a problem in the future if you just put a bullet in their head. Sometimes I wonder if that wouldn't be a better plan."

 

A tad draconian even for me, so I will assume that your tongue is firmly in your cheek? Though in my view any person over the age of ten that commits a capital crime should not be treated as just a naughty child but have to bear the consequences of that action by being removed from civil society for an extended duration and in some sociopathic cases permanently.

 

Only partially. :D But, I am old, and jaded, and more than a bit cynical.......

 

I just get seriously tired of some of the crap I see go on around here. We had a boy, 16, get mad at his parents, because they wouldn't get him a cell phone. His answer to that? He killed both of them with an axe....... Says he doesn't remember what happened after he had already chopped dear ol' dad into a couple pieces...... What did he get? 20 years for "assault with intent"... Good plea bargain eh?

 

Another gal I know personally, who hasn't quite turned 18 yet, has been arrested 5 times for shoplifting. What has happened to her? Pretty much nothing. On her last offense, she plea-bargained it down, and got 20 hours community service, which she never bothered to complete, and the powers-that-be didn't bother to call her on it. Lesson learned? She can do whatever she wants, and get away with it. Brilliant.

 

There are dozens of examples. My personal favorite is the guy the got drunk, attempted to drive himself home, and killed a family of four when he hit them head on, as he had passed out at the wheel. What did he get? Two years in prison. That's it. Now what REALLY grinds my gears here is, he would have been convicted of murder, had the jury been allowed to hear that this was his THIRTY SEVENTH drunk driving conviction. Seriously. Why did this guy even have a license? Why was this guy even permitted to be NEAR a car, let alone own one.

 

Ok, I think I have wandered far enough off topic now..... :D

[RZ1029]

Can make 100% certain they won't be a problem in the future if you just put a bullet in their head. Sometimes I wonder if that wouldn't be a better plan.

Ehehehe. Welcome to the dark side.

 

 

A tad draconian even for me, so I will assume that your tongue is firmly in your cheek?

I don't know, I kind of like the eye-for-an-eye concept. Can we stab both of them and cut Xs in their cheek?

 

Though in my view any person over the age of ten that commits a capital crime should not be treated as just a naughty child but have to bear the consequences of that action by being removed from civil society for an extended duration and in some sociopathic cases permanently.

From the article:

scolded her for the "very cowardly thing you did" There's your problem. The judge 'scolded' her. Please, a kid was nearly killed. You don't scold someone for that, you throw the book at them like you would any adult. Show them the repercussions of their actions, and make an example out of them.

[grannywils]

I am deliberately weighing in on this one for some of my more conservative friends out there (YOU KNOW WHO YOU ARE.....:smile: ).

 

Although I will not say that in each and every case we should throw the book at a kid who gets in trouble, I am inclined to agree with those who say if an underage person is capable of an adult crime then he or she is deserving of adult punishment. Whew, there I have said it....:confused:

 

I remember, when I was much, much, much, much younger and still a Liberal, lots of people said that as you get older you tend to become more conservative in some of your views. Well that has not really happened to me very much. But I will say that I have become a tad more moderate and a lot more mellow. But even though I am still a Liberal, I believe that those victims had rights too.

[HeyYou]

I am deliberately weighing in on this one for some of my more conservative friends out there (YOU KNOW WHO YOU ARE.....:smile: ).

 

Although I will not say that in each and every case we should throw the book at a kid who gets in trouble, I am inclined to agree with those who say if an underage person is capable of an adult crime then he or she is deserving of adult punishment. Whew, there I have said it....:confused:

 

I remember, when I was much, much, much, much younger and still a Liberal, lots of people said that as you get older you tend to become more conservative in some of your views. Well that has not really happened to me very much. But I will say that I have become a tad more moderate and a lot more mellow. But even though I am still a Liberal, I believe that those victims had rights too.

 

Apparently not in our justice system. The criminal has more rights than the victim....... not to mention several HUGE organizations (financed with tax money...) as advocates to see that THEIR rights aren't violated.

 

Tell ya what, how about this? If you violate someones rights in a violent manner, what leads you to the conclusion that you deserve better than what you gave them?<- General statement, not aimed at you granny. :D

Edited August 1, 2011 by HeyYou

[grannywils]

HeyYou, again it saddens me to have to agree that in many cases you are right. I do not believe that you are right in all cases, however. It seems to depend on the type of pull you have, and the visibility of your position.

[HeyYou]

HeyYou, again it saddens me to have to agree that in many cases you are right. I do not believe that you are right in all cases, however. It seems to depend on the type of pull you have, and the visibility of your position.

 

I see that here as well. A man, whom no one had ever heard of before, got busted for taking a leak outside a bar on the outskirts of town. He was arrested for 'indecent exposure', at 2:00 AM..... was convicted, got six months in jail, and was forced to be put on the sex offenders registry...... Fast forward to relatively recently. The city manager of a small town 10 miles from here, was driving a city owned vehicle, on personal business, and was seen by a couple witnesses... erm... pleasuring himself.... at a traffic light..... What happened to him? Nothing at all. Court date was adjourned, twice, and I haven't heard a thing about it since then. (and the last court date has come and gone.....)

 

But, what I see the most of, is the prosecutors office preferring a plea bargain, to a trial, even when there is absolutely no question of getting a conviction. Murderers get off with a decade or two. Drunk drivers get off with a fine. (even on the fifth and sixth offense.) Many felonies, that if convicted, would get the perp 10 to 15 years in prison, are bargained down to misdemeanors, and the perp ends up with time served, or a couple months in jail. Where is the "justice" in that?

 

Of course, the judicial system here is used as an example of "the good ol' boy" system in the encyclopedia......

[grannywils]

'Nother subject matter HeyYou, but no argument from me on this one....