StudentShare
Contact Us
Sign In / Sign Up for FREE
Search
Go to advanced search...

Should Juveniles Be Charged as Adults in Criminal Cases - Research Paper Example

Cite this document
Summary
All the states in the United States consent that youth should be prosecuted as grown-ups in criminal courts under certain circumstances. The transfer of juveniles to adult criminal courts is not a new phenomenon and in some states, provisions enabling this transfer of certain juveniles have been in place for over a hundred years…
Download full paper File format: .doc, available for editing
GRAB THE BEST PAPER95.1% of users find it useful
Should Juveniles Be Charged as Adults in Criminal Cases
Read Text Preview

Extract of sample "Should Juveniles Be Charged as Adults in Criminal Cases"

Download file to see previous pages

Transfer mechanisms may vary according to where the responsibility for the transfer decision making lies and the provisions for this fall into three categories: a judicial waiver, concurrent jurisdiction, and statutory exclusion. In a judicial waiver, the juvenile court judge has the power to relinquish the juvenile court’s right and move the case to an adult criminal court. In a concurrent jurisdiction however, the original jurisdiction for certain cases is shared by both the criminal court and the juvenile court and the prosecution has the discretion to decide in which courts to file the cases in.

In statutory exclusion, a state statute excludes certain juvenile offenders from the jurisdiction of a juvenile court and the cases against them come from criminal courts. Because of the increasing crime rates, as well as the more dangerous crimes being committed by juveniles, more pressure is being exerted not only by prosecutors and but also by the general public to charge these youths as adults as opposed to their being processed through the juvenile justice system. Virtually every juvenile offender with a past criminal history or is notorious for violent crime, is tried an adult court (Buffalo News, 1994).

Rhodes, K (2008) states that while structures are present in all states to try and discipline juveniles in ways that are distinctive from adults, crimes such as rape and homicide are controversial because it is not easy to determine whether juveniles merit a less punitive treatment from that of adults. It is understandable that some people would seek to have the juvenile offenders receive a harsher punishment for their crimes especially considering the high number of crimes being committed by juveniles.

The juvenile justice system has been reformed so much to an extent that they are almost indistinguishable from the adult justice system. The question that we have to consider is whether all these reforms have been of any benefit to the society or not. These harsh laws which have been put in place to curb juvenile crime have been proven not to work over the years and have instead treated this age group unfairly and inhumanely, not achieving the safer society which was the purpose for their being enacted (Crime Control Digest, 2004).

It has been proven that juveniles who have been prosecuted through the adult system serve shorter sentences and their experiences in adult prisons teaches them to become even more dangerous criminals once they are released. Furthermore, counseling, which is crucial in helping the juveniles in the transition to life beyond prison, is denied them in adult prisons and it has been observed that many juveniles have a hard time adjusting to life once they are released back into society. This is due to the fact that while youths in the juvenile system undergo programs to reform them, those in the adult system learn to become hardened criminals, hence the increasing likelihood their going back to crime in society once they are released.

While the juvenile system hides the criminal records of youths who have gone through it, the adult system does not and the adult criminal records of convicted juveniles keep them from getting jobs or being admitted to some schools and this leads them towards committing new crimes in order to make money for survival. Once these youths are stuck with criminal records, they tend to be permanently stigmatized and are allowed few opportunities to regain

...Download file to see next pages Read More
Cite this document
  • APA
  • MLA
  • CHICAGO
(“Should Juveniles Be Charged as Adults in Criminal Cases Research Paper”, n.d.)
Should Juveniles Be Charged as Adults in Criminal Cases Research Paper. Retrieved from https://studentshare.org/law/1455794-should-juveniles-be-charged-as-adults-in-criminal
(Should Juveniles Be Charged As Adults in Criminal Cases Research Paper)
Should Juveniles Be Charged As Adults in Criminal Cases Research Paper. https://studentshare.org/law/1455794-should-juveniles-be-charged-as-adults-in-criminal.
“Should Juveniles Be Charged As Adults in Criminal Cases Research Paper”, n.d. https://studentshare.org/law/1455794-should-juveniles-be-charged-as-adults-in-criminal.
  • Cited: 1 times

CHECK THESE SAMPLES OF Should Juveniles Be Charged as Adults in Criminal Cases

Oral Presentation Principle of Evidence

To understand the admissibility of the confessions and to answer other relevant issues in this case, it is first essential to analyze history, definition and the conditions for a confession to be admissible as evidence in criminal cases.... istorical Perspectives on the Issues Relating to ConfessionsMost of the decisions in criminal cases at the United Kingdom were based on common law.... he passage of these laws gave a new requirement for evidence to be admissible in criminal cases, that is, competency....
13 Pages (3250 words) Case Study

Young Adults Books

This work called "Young adults' Books" describes such books as Shattered, The Fallen, and The Bully.... nbsp;… The open society and the unrestricted love affairs, in the name of individual freedom, wreck the psyche of the young adults, when lovers become defeated lovers.... he story makes an interesting read for the adults for obvious reasons.... The superintendent of Bluford High School is convinced that Martin should be expelled....
9 Pages (2250 words) Case Study

Adequacy of Criminal Law and Punishment

Even though the defendant later appealed on several bases and was finally set free, the juvenile could be charged for aggravated child abuse, felony murder, premeditated murder, and for giving false testimony (Findlaw.... Apart from committing murder, the two brothers ought to be charged for committing an act of arson as they set their house ablaze after committing the first crime (CNN, 2002).... The study “Adequacy of criminal Law and Punishment” appeals to the legal norms of American justice, requiring adequate punishment for crimes committed by minors....
1 Pages (250 words) Case Study

The Procedural History of Yu Yu Kai Frank and Chan Chi Keung

he doctrine of res ipsa loquitur is especially relevant in medical cases alleging negligence where the plaintiff is not conscious and the medical professional administers care that is presumably within his/her knowledge and outside of the plaintiff's knowledge.... The paper 'The Procedural History of Yu Yu-Kai Frank and Chan Chi Keung' presents a claim in professional negligence in respect of serious nerve injury to the plaintiff's left arm....
7 Pages (1750 words) Case Study

Double Murder by 11-Year-Old Boy in Pennsylvania

hellip; The legal experts deemed this case as of one of the youngest suspects to be charged with murder in the country.... Under the senate bill number 850, Jordan is a criminal under the age of eighteen who is supposed to be charged with murder of an adult and of an unborn child.... Hence, the law provides for a harsh sentence in circumstances or rather in such cases despite the age of the accused.... In Pennsylvania, there is no provision in the law for the lower limit of age when it comes to conviction or rather being charged with homicide....
4 Pages (1000 words) Case Study

The Juvenile Delinquent Jamie

The paper "The Juvenile Delinquent Jamie" highlights that issues surrounding Jamie include his delinquent behaviour like his truancy, drug use and abuse, and his stealing.... Other issues also include his depression, suicidal ideation and his difficulty in concentrating in school.... hellip; The paper used selective and interpretative literature review and analysis to assess the available reports....
14 Pages (3500 words) Case Study

Juvenile Sex Offenses in Ohio

Juvenile sex offenders are regarded as a delinquent population, which, if ignored, are likely to commit several sexual offenses in the future as adults.... These cases may involve sibling incest among other sexual crimes.... Nevertheless, it is vital for the government to address such cases seriously to avoid their re-occurrence.... Crary (2012) from news argues that, in data collected in 29 states, juveniles accounted for 36% of offenders in sexual crime, 93% of these minors being male offenders....
5 Pages (1250 words) Case Study

Americas Prison System

The majority of scholars admit that one of the changes over this period has been the decline of the rehabilitative level: the idea that prisons should serve as houses for reforming inmates and preparing them for a return to society (Bonds, 420).... The paper 'America's Prison System' presents the rate of imprisonment which has grown in the United States in such a sustained and dramatic fashion over the past three decades that it has become necessary to begin essays with a statement on “mass” incarceration....
13 Pages (3250 words) Case Study
sponsored ads
We use cookies to create the best experience for you. Keep on browsing if you are OK with that, or find out how to manage cookies.
Contact Us