Youngest Convicted Murderer to be Freed

[♫anna♫]

[Deleted]

The killers of James Bulger were 10 years old so the title of this is incorrect.

[Deleted]

They are also free btw

[Big Lin]

It's always sad when it's kids who kill. I get more tormented by that than most crimes.

Except on course when kids are the victims.

As people on here know I support the death penalty for murder but I've also argued with many of my fellow pros about the question of mitigating circumstances and in particular the age of offenders.

Even aside from the capital punishment issue I've argued with both pros and antis from the US about the whole notion of trying juveniles as adults.

I simply can't see any fairness or justice in that.

Kids at the end of the day are kids and speaking as someone who twice badly wounded another person and would have killed them if things had gone differently I can say that they lack self-control on the whole compared with adults.

I don't support LWOP for juveniles any more than I do the death penalty for them.

Adults and juveniles are not the same and IMO it's morally wrong to treat them as if they were.

[♫anna♫]

Aug 2, 2015 15:01:04 GMT Gibby said:

They are also free btw

I assume the youngest convicted murderer in US history is meant.

[blc]

Aug 2, 2015 21:37:57 GMT Big Lin said:

It's always sad when it's kids who kill. I get more tormented by that than most crimes.

Except on course when kids are the victims.

As people on here know I support the death penalty for murder but I've also argued with many of my fellow pros about the question of mitigating circumstances and in particular the age of offenders.

Even aside from the capital punishment issue I've argued with both pros and antis from the US about the whole notion of trying juveniles as adults.

I simply can't see any fairness or justice in that.

Kids at the end of the day are kids and speaking as someone who twice badly wounded another person and would have killed them if things had gone differently I can say that they lack self-control on the whole compared with adults.

I don't support LWOP for juveniles any more than I do the death penalty for them.

Adults and juveniles are not the same and IMO it's morally wrong to treat them as if they were.

A lot of adults lack self control as well, that's part of the problem.

[Deleted]

Aug 3, 2015 7:42:34 GMT ♫anna♫ said:

Aug 2, 2015 15:01:04 GMT Gibby said:

They are also free btw

I assume the youngest convicted murderer in US history is meant.

well America thinks it is the world so ,,,,

[Big Lin]

Aug 4, 2015 9:58:30 GMT blc said:

Aug 2, 2015 21:37:57 GMT Big Lin said:

It's always sad when it's kids who kill. I get more tormented by that than most crimes.

Except on course when kids are the victims.

As people on here know I support the death penalty for murder but I've also argued with many of my fellow pros about the question of mitigating circumstances and in particular the age of offenders.

Even aside from the capital punishment issue I've argued with both pros and antis from the US about the whole notion of trying juveniles as adults.

I simply can't see any fairness or justice in that.

Kids at the end of the day are kids and speaking as someone who twice badly wounded another person and would have killed them if things had gone differently I can say that they lack self-control on the whole compared with adults.

I don't support LWOP for juveniles any more than I do the death penalty for them.

Adults and juveniles are not the same and IMO it's morally wrong to treat them as if they were.

A lot of adults lack self control as well, that's part of the problem.

I agree and in many cases bad parenting has contributed.

But fundamentally kids still require different treatment from adults.

[blc]

Aug 4, 2015 21:19:06 GMT Big Lin said:

Aug 4, 2015 9:58:30 GMT blc said:

A lot of adults lack self control as well, that's part of the problem.

I agree and in many cases bad parenting has contributed.

But fundamentally kids still require different treatment from adults.

They might need to be kept separate from adults but plenty of kids know exactly what they are doing.

[blc]

The article is much more clear on the location and other facts than the video snippet.

[Big Lin]

Aug 5, 2015 4:10:01 GMT blc said:

Aug 4, 2015 21:19:06 GMT Big Lin said:

I agree and in many cases bad parenting has contributed.

But fundamentally kids still require different treatment from adults.

They might need to be kept separate from adults but plenty of kids know exactly what they are doing.

That's not quite the same thing; of course kids have to be punished but they shouldn't be punished as adults.

I've had a lot of experience dealing with juvenile offenders - I was one myself though I didn't get caught! - and it's a big mistake to think that treating them as if they were adult offenders will somehow miraculously cure the problem of juvenile crime.

Ultimately there's a cut off point below which you're not an adult.

The only logical and consistent basis in which punishing juveniles as adults would be if juveniles had the same rights as adults.

So you'd have to let them drink, drive cars, etc because otherwise you're saying - hey, you're an adult if you're a criminal but not otherwise. It's giving them all the 'penalties' of adulthood without any of the perks.

And that's neither fair nor sensible.

[blc]

Aug 5, 2015 15:48:19 GMT Big Lin said:

Aug 5, 2015 4:10:01 GMT blc said:

They might need to be kept separate from adults but plenty of kids know exactly what they are doing.

That's not quite the same thing; of course kids have to be punished but they shouldn't be punished as adults.

I've had a lot of experience dealing with juvenile offenders - I was one myself though I didn't get caught! - and it's a big mistake to think that treating them as if they were adult offenders will somehow miraculously cure the problem of juvenile crime.

Ultimately there's a cut off point below which you're not an adult.

The only logical and consistent basis in which punishing juveniles as adults would be if juveniles had the same rights as adults.

So you'd have to let them drink, drive cars, etc because otherwise you're saying - hey, you're an adult if you're a criminal but not otherwise. It's giving them all the 'penalties' of adulthood without any of the perks.

And that's neither fair nor sensible.

I didn't suggest that treating them as adults would miraculously cure anything, but I know some juveniles that know exactly what they are doing and are deceitful to boot. One took a rifle and hit his brother in the head with the butt of it before they got into a big fight and the cops were called.

This kid also likes to sit in the back yard and shoot animals. He lives in the city. While shooting birds and rabbits and squirrels for the heck of it might be his idea of fun, its also cruel.

I think its best to leave it to the judges and psych experts on a case by case situation as to when a minor gets charged as an adult.