Juvenile Justice: Should Teenagers Be Sentences As Adults

Many people assume that teenagers should not be sentenced as adults, because their brain is not fully developed. On the other hand, people believe if teenagers commit crimes then they need to have consequences for their actions. According to the Campaign for Youth Justices, about 250,000 teenagers are tried, sentenced, or incarcerated as adults every year in the United States (Campaign for Youth Justices 3). Therefore, charging teenagers as adults is fair, because they are human beings just like adults.

On Friday August 16, 2013, Christopher Lane was shot in the back of the head by James Edwards, Chancey Luna, and Michael Jones in Duncan, Oklahoma. While looking on social networks Edwards mentions on his Facebook account: “I see death around the Coner” (Edwards). As a result, Edwards knew what he is doing, because why would you want to put stuff on Facebook about killing someone? While interpreting this quote, it tells me that Edwards knew what person he was going for. One defendant explains to the Police Chief, Danny Ford, “ We were bored and didn’t have anything to do, so we decided to kill somebody.” If the teenagers were bored, how can Edwards tweet that he sees death around the corner? According to Edwards Facebook status, he was planning to commit a crime. Remember, planning is the process of making plans for something. On April 19, 2013, Edwards updated a Facebook status saying: “When s**t gets serious... That n***a always #M.I.A. He bout to dropped from the team” (Edwards). Edwards knew who he wanted to kill, because Lane played on a baseball team for an Oklahoma College. In addition, Edwards Facebook updates says he was going to drop someone from a team, therefore, it shows that Lane was the target. James Edwards, C...

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...d Cooper and her friends took ten dollars from Pelke and her car keys? When I get bored, I don’t think about killing an innocent person. While interpreting the Ruth Pelke case, it’s hard to believe that people would so such a thing to an innocent person that is minding their own business.

In the article called, “Kids Are Kids-Until They Commit Crimes,” by Marjie Lundstrom mentions that if kids commit a crime, then they are not kids. Lundstrom says in her article, “On March 9, Lionel Tate-who was twelve when he savagely beat to death a six-year-old-will likely learn if he must spend life in prison after his lawyer unsuccessfully tried to put pro wrestlying on trial. Now fourteen and convicted as an adult of first-degree murder, Tate supposedly was imitating his World Wrestling Federation heroes when he pummeled his playmate, less than a third his size” (Lundstrom).