Teen vs. Adult

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Every day violent crimes are being committed in the Unites States by juveniles, between the ages of twelve and fifteen, and are tried for these crimes in juvenile courts. The juveniles are being prosecuted in a juvenile court and are receiving a lesser sentence, than an adult for the violent crimes. Some people believe that teens should not be tried as an adult and should just be tried as a juvenile. Juveniles should be tried as an adult, in an adult court, when they are charged with a murder, a sexual offense, and having been previously tried and convicted of two prior offenses.
Prior to the 1800’s children over the age of seven were tried in an adult court and upon conviction went to adult prison. In the nineteenth century it was believed that children lacked the mental capacity that comes with age and should be tried and rehabilitated separate from adults. In 1899 the first juvenile court was founded, in Chicago, with two basic principles. It was believed that juveniles could not be held accountable for their actions and could be rehabilitated. A “get tough” approach has been adopted my many states, one example is California’s Proposition 21, passed in 2000. (Juvenile) California’s Proposition 21 states that prosecutors have the right to send “juveniles accused of felonies directly to adult court.” (Juvenile)
Murder is not a school prank. Every jurisdiction in the United States has a different definition for murder. A law made by the courts defines it as “the unlawful killing of a human being with malice aforethought.” (Murder) For a juvenile to be charged with murder it does not have to be planned or intentional; they can just be an accomplice. A juvenile, between the age of twelve and fifteen, who commits an adul...

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