Although authorities believe juveniles know the difference between right .
from wrong, authorities try juveniles as though they are adults. The .
punishment for juvenile misdemeanors is too harsh and the law needs to be .
changed to lessen the severity of penalties. It seems that many people are set .
on "you do the crime, you do the time". That may work for some but when you .
are only 14-15 years old and be inexcitability due to family problems, the .
juvenile may not be able to handle the repercussions. Many courtroom officials .
and judges, have been prosecuting juveniles as adults. Juveniles have that title .
because they are underage, they are teenagers or children, not adults. .
It has been said by David Bender and Bruno Leone in Juvenile Crimes, .
that teenagers who commit crimes should have the same consequences as an .
adult who commits a crime. Therefore, juveniles who commit murder should be .
put to the death. Oklahoma wants to try 13 and 14 year olds as adults. .
Oklahoma also tried to allow executions for 14 and 15 year olds. If people .
really want to get through to a teen, they have to step in the children's shoes .
and deal with the life they deal with. Teens taking their anger out on other .
people is not a good thing, but sometimes their only option. Hence, states such .
as Oklahoma demand that these youths be seen as adults. The theory is that at .
the ages of 13 and 14 a person knows right from wrong. However, where is the .
line drawn at which age is concerned to be tried as an adult and does a 13-14 .
.
year old truly know right from wrong? .
It may be a fallacy but to some adults, when the juvenile is young, .
he/she may not realize what they are doing. Some may be committing crimes .
for attention, but vast majorities of teens do things because they do not realize it is a crime. It is also said by Bender and Bruno that Juvenile court is not to punish or accuse, but to teach and guide. Teaching and guiding is not giving a 14 year old the death penalty or sentencing them one to ten years in a jail or prison.
