Role of Cognitive Development in Trying Juveniles as Adults

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In the United States, you are considered an adult at 18-years old. With age comes a plethora of other privledges. You can drive at 16 with a proper drivers license, legally engage in intercourse at 17, vote and purchase cigarrettes at 18 and purchase and consume alcohol at 21. Although there is one age restriction that hasn't been set in stone. In the justice system, one may be considered an adult at 18 and be tried as such. The option of being tried as an adult hangs on many circumstances. If the individual commited a serious crime, such as armed robbery, rape, or murder, then they may be tried as an adult. If the individual was tried as an adult in an earlier case, then they will continue to do so indefinetly. The prosecuter or judge may be given the option of how they want the individual to be tried. Maturity level may play a role. There are so many conditions that can lead to bing tried as an adult. This is when science comes in. Cognitive development, to be exact. Cognitive development is the study of the ability to think and understand. It is a field of neur...

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