Topic of choice - Essay Example

Children who murder should not be tried as adults Children who murder should not be tried as adults The issue of the trial in courtsof children who commit murders has been very controversial with regard to the fact that whether they should be tried as adults or not. The judicial system has changed and brought about many amendments with regard to this problem over the years. Through research it has been evidenced that children do not have the thinking capabilities similar to those of adults and they are still in the process of mental development (Schwartz, 2010).

Furthermore, it has also been explained that many judgments given against children in courts in murder cases are biased (Lee, 2012). It is evident and clear that owing to the differences between an adult and a child, children who murder should not be tried as adults. The judicial system of the adults and the children should be separate and children should be tried in juvenile courts as they do not have the capability of understanding and reaching to conclusion with regard to court consultations.

The case of Bobby Hines who was a student in middle school clearly reflects as an example. Bobby Hines was with his friends and one of his friends murdered a person during an argument. Hines was punished and the charge against him was that of “felony murder.” Hines was imprisoned for lifetime and during his trial he was provided with a deal to change his charge to “second degree murder” which could have resulted in reduced prison term. Hines was very young and he did not understand the working of the adult judicial system and hence he is still in prison for the last 22 years.

Deborah Labelle, who holds the post of the director of The Juvenile Life without Parole Initiative, uses this case to explain that owing to the inability of the children to recognize and understand the rules of the judicial system of the adults, they eventually end up being sentenced to tougher prison terms. Thus, children who should murder should be dealt with in a different manner than their adult counterparts (Lee, 2012).The United States is still marked to be one country across the globe that has very strict laws with regard to the trial of children who are guilty of murder.

They can be sentenced to life imprisonment without the right of release. A research conducted on a national level in a Sentencing Project which is mainly functioning in Washington D.C. highlighted the drawbacks of trying children in the adult courts. The report indicated that children who were tried in adult courts faced racial discrimination accompanied with hindrances in corrective and restorative measures for rehabilitating and improving the children (Lee, 2012).Research that was conducted in the MacArthur Foundation Research Network on Adolescent Development and Juvenile Justice explained reasons as to why children should not be tried as results.

It explained that young children do not have the capacity to plan criminal activities like adults. Imaging studies of young adolescents presents the fact that their ability to think of the result of their actions is low as compared to adults. Thus, owing to their lower mental capabilities children should be provided with a separate judicial system (Schwartz, 2010). The subject of children being tried in adult courts has been a matter of debate. Evidence provided by research conducted at national level and by means of other studies, it is clearly explained that children who murder and commit crimes should not be treated as adults.

This is because the verdicts given against them are biased. Furthermore, children do not have the ability to properly face the trials in the adult criminal courts.ReferencesLee, T. (2012, May 15). Juvenile Offenders Sentenced To Life Can Face Harsher Treatment than Adults: Report. The Huffington Post. Retrieved from http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/05/15/juvenile-offenders-life-sentence-_n_1519298.htmlSchwartz, R. (2010, February 18). Kids should never be tried as adults. CNN Opinion. Retrieved from http://articles.cnn.com/2010-02-18/opinion/schwartz.kids.trials_1_justice-system-juvenile-justice-cameron-kocher?

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