Is there any situation where a "minor" should be held accountable?

That other thread has spawned me into wanting some more opinions regarding minors & thier ability to be held accountable for thier actions/crimes.

Someone mentioned a 13 yr old killing his father, but will go free once they hit 18.

There is a situation near me where a 10 year old boy, took a shotgun and executed his father's pregnant fiance as she slept. Shot her in the head. Debate raged about whether to try him as an adult because it was such a cold blooded killing. I believe they are still fighting that out yet.

Is being under age a license to commit basically any crime one wants without fear of long term consequences?

 

I can tell you locally here (not sure about other places) that society is scared to punish minors too harshly. Their fear is that the child can still be turned around and you will ruin their whole life if in jail till they are 30 with no chance of turning them around.

This has brought on some unintended consequences. Gang members have forced the gang members that are minors to perform killings knowing that they would not be held accountable as an adult.

If a child performs a horrible act being 17 years of age they typically will be tried as an adult.

If a minor is caught shoplifting or some other minor crime, the parents are typically given the citation and it the punishment is left to the parents.

So to answer your question........ No, they almost always are not held accountable.


EDIT: I misread your question. Yes there are times where kids should be held accountable. There is no black or white line (for me). You would have to take it by a case by case basis. This really is a hard question to answer without specifics. (i.e. crime committed, prior record, age of the child, etc.)

 

Yes, I believe in holding them accountable just as adults in premeditated crimes like the one's you've mentioned above. I don't know where to draw the line, so don't ask:D

 

Years and years ago 15 year olds took on more responsibility then any 15 year old would ever see In this day and age. Was It right then? This Is just my opinion but I think all too often political correctness gets In the way In this day and age and kids/young adults get a free pass regardless of what It Is. Years and years ago the same things were going on and the free passes were not given out.

 

Are there situations when they should NOT be treated as minors?

It's only my opinion.....but, Yes.

 

It sure seems that way sometimes. I knew the difference between right and wrong when I was ten so I hate hearing excuses stating the opposite. I say call the little bastard a defect and fry his ass. He killed two people that day, not just one.

And I did find this.

 

many adults when contemplating murder only decide not to because of the consequenses they will face, can a child comprehend the same? i dunno. but i do beleive this.
if you are willing to treat them as adults at 10 when they do something wrong they need the option of being adults period. if they deserve the same treatment then at 10 they should be able to work,get a drivers licence, buy alchohol, move out. ect.
if you don't think it's reasonable to give kids these rights then the answer to your punishment question is the same. imo.

 

Here's a case where a 15yo is being charged as an adult. He shot a couple in their beds 4 times with a 8mm rifle. He also shot the woman with a 22, reportedly after she was already dead.

http://www.stltoday.com/news/local/...cle_7125e634-a045-11df-9357-0017a4a78c22.html

 

I see your point but he should have still known right from wrong. I wonder what his motive was?

 

This argument cannot fly...we send soldiers to die who cannot legally purchase alchohol in anywhere in the country.

 

I have worked in a juvenile lock-up facility for the last five years and around at-risk youth for the last eleven years. There are many situations where juveniles should be held accountable. In Virginia, one must be only 14.5 years of age to committed as an adult. We have kids in here for some of the more bizarre crimes you can imagine, and I believe most of them should be punished. In fact, some might consider me a barbarian, but if a 17 year old commits a brutal pre-meditated murder, then that "kid" needs to be sentenced as an adult, meaning the death penalty. Gangs these days are using "kids" to commit terrible murders.

We have kids in here for gang rapes, murders, stabbings, shootings, abductions, raping kids that are only 3-4 years old, and everything else under the sun. And MANY of them are fully aware of what they are doing even at 15-16 years old and UNDER THE LAW can and will be held accountable.

 

You can know right from wrong at any age, and, this ability to discern one from another, will progress with age.

The brain does not mature until a human is nearly 25yo. So, I am not in favor of treating any minor as an adult, but, I am in favor of actually providing children something more constructive to do that play video games every day , just sayin....

 

Brett:

Any father rapers?

(sorry.....Alice's rest. ref.)

 

Can a minor be responsible for their upbringing? Can they be responsible for raising themselves?

Where do children learn right and wrong? If none teaches them right from wrong are the responsible for learning that on their own?

 

the constant reference to gangs using kids to commit murder = the kids need to punished more severely kinda makes me a little sick.
i beleive if it's known this is taking place something needs to be changed to punish the adults in the gang who are using kids to commit such crimes, not the forementioned!
i really don't understand this line of thinking,except for the fact it would be easier.

 

Dale, although these "kids" are being used by gangs to kill, MOST of them voluntarily join gangs and enjoy terrorizing others and pushing their negative agendas upon others. How do I know? I work with them everyday at work and I actually ask them about their mindsets. They are dangerous, dangerous criminals. Just because I think they are being used (sometimes) does not change the fact that they need to be punished. Many of these gang members would have not problem robbing you, your wife, your girlfriend, or your whole family. And they might chop your arm off with a machette just to prove a point not to mess the XXXX gang.

 

I do have to say .. I have preached to these kids in the detention centers ...and I am telling you almost to a kid, they have had the most messed up childhoods .. it is so sad ....

 

don't get me wrong,i beleive they should be punished. just not as adults. certainly every case is different there is some hope for some of them to change. that being said i guess i beleive the rules simply shouldn't be changed either way, instead keep judging it on a case by case basis.
and i'll eat crow on the fact that if a 12 y/o robbed murdered or cut my wifes arm off with a machete i'd want him to suffer dearly.......... but i can't overlook the fact these kids had a poor upringing and most didn't stand a chance.

 

But where do we stop Tony? Do we let a 17 year old killer off because of his childhood but lock up a 20 year old killer with the same childhood experiences just because he is older? Most the violent offending adults in prison have had "messed up" childhoods. We need to get out in front of juvenile offenders as a society. Again, some of you have heard me say this before.....MEN are much to blame for this crap. We need to be mentors, helping kids that appear to be in distress. We need to seek them out and help our communities. We need not rely on social services and everything else to help our at-risk kids. WE need to do it. I really do feel bad for many of the kids I work with each day. Many of US could have prevented their actions if we just would have taken a liking to the kid and helped them out.

 

I am not saying harshly punish that young of a kid Dale. I am talking about the late 16-17 year old animals that live and prey on people. Those "kids" need to be punished severely. I BELIEVE that all kids have the inner ability to control their actions. If I did not, I would not work where I do these days.