A couple of counties over from me, three boys recently killed the oldest boy’s stepdad. The oldest boy is 15 years old, the other two are 12. The story is that the 15 year old and one of the 12 year olds sat in the room waiting with their guns and shot the stepdad when he entered the room. I am not sure what the role of the other 12 year old is.
The judge has ruled that the two shooters should be tried as adults.
I have never understood this. We set up a system so that we treat juveniles differently than we treat adults. Presumably we do this because we recognize that children are simply not adults.
But let the crime be serious enough and we forget all about such fine distinctions.
Personally, I think it is wrong that either child is charged as an adult, but I accept that there are probably arguments to be made for dealing with the 15 year old as an adult.
I cannot fathom an argument for treating a 12 year old as an adult.
The first result: housing the kids in the adult jail.