Tomorrow, Pennsylvania’s Superior Court is set to hear an appeal against an earlier decision to try 13-year-old Jordan Brown in an adult court.
Jordan is charged with killing Kenzie Houk, his father’s pregnant fiancée, in 2009, when he was 11 years old; he is charged with two counts of homicide.
Amnesty International has urged US authorities in Pennsylvania not to try Jordan in an adult court, as doing so could result in a violation of international law. If tried as an adult and convicted of first-degree murder, he would face life imprisonment without parole.
Jordan Brown is the youngest person known to Amnesty to be currently at risk of being sentenced to life imprisonment without parole. The US is the only country we know of in the world that pursues life imprisonment without parole against children – and it does so regularly. Currently there are at least 2,500 people who are serving life imprisonment without parole for crimes committed before they turned 18.
The USA and Somalia are also the only countries in the world that have not ratified the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, which prohibits life imprisonment without the possibility of release for crimes committed under the age of 18. Amnesty International is calling on the US to bring its laws in line with international standards on the treatment of children accused of criminal offenses.
It is shocking that anyone this young could face life imprisonment without parole, let alone in a country which labels itself as a progressive force for human rights.
Whenever a person is tried in a court of law he must be treated with a think that he is also a human being
In this case it seems to me that this kid is not going to recieve a fair treatment .
The U.S. is a world leader and it is expected from a leader that he should behave like in leaders way
In a country which is made up with d principle of democracy it is quite painful to see such a cruel murder of human rights
By giving life sentence without parole to Kids U.S. too become a kind of muderer…..!
honestly i think the kid should pleased with life in prison. if it were my choice (thank god it's not) i'd have the boy executed.
I hate to say it but I don't think it's unfair to put him on trial like an adult. Even at the tender age of 11 children have a VAERY clear definition of what's right and what's wrong.. we're not talking about him stealing some candy from the store or even threatening to hurt somene. HE KILLED someone. There's something wrong with this child that makes him a danger to society for life, without proper treatment. And even then, many children who have psychological problems and who DO receive treatment still remain a threat not only to society, but to themselves. Prison isn't any worse than living on the street (where he'd likely end up) and at least in prison he has free medical care, food, shelter, protection, and access to resources that most americans can't afford. not to mention he'll naver have to work a day in his life or pay taxes.
You would seriously execute an 11 year old? Irregardless of what a child as young as that may have done, you are a sick and cruel fuck if you would let a child be executed or thrown into prison with NO CHANCE of parole. That is, NO CHANCE to make amends, or to show that they can behave better.
This just comes to show that America truly is a 3rd world country. They execute children, let anyone die who can't pay for health insurance and pick fights. Go back to your sandhuts you little monkey cunts.
He commited a serious crime, therefore he should be severely punished. Simple as that.
@BTABII SUCKS
You are in no position of accusing America of being a third world country when you are using words such as 'irregardless'.
I am 12 years old and what is this?
Okay lets back this up a bit. To all of you who say that this eleven year old child knows right from wrong and therefore deserves the punishment I would like to draw your attention to something called the human brain. The human brain does not fully develop till around the age of 20. This means that the rational ability of an 11 year old is severely impaired. A child cannot conceptualize consequences like an adult nor can they fully understand death. Children do not have the ability to understand complex relationships, or their place in the world as a whole. This means they cannot conceptualize future events. These inabilities have on simple result, they cannot understand right from wrong, they cannot understand what is good or bad or why. This is why they rely on adults to teach them. Racism hatred and violence are taught as is tolerance love and peace. This cannot be debated it is a biological fact and it has been this way since the dawn of man, its the way we are designed. This is simply a matter of poor parenting. That is what you put on trial. Clearly this child has a serious problem that was not getting addressed in his home. It is therefore more logical to place him in a controlled environment that sees to his special needs. The problem in this matter is simply that those responsible for him failed, the answer is not to lock him up as if he were a feral dog but instead provide him the environment he needs for successful growth into adulthood.
The US would possibly be violating international law IF it had ratified the UN Convention on the Rights of a Child. But it didn't. Whether or not the US is violating human rights is not the same as questioning whether it is violating international law. Amnesty International should be able to make logical arguments without generating false premises.
If you think children should go to jail, do you also think we should have child soldiers, let children vote, or let them drink alcohol. The blurb also does not go into the details: the kid could have just found his dad's gun and fired it by accident.
In response to EYK:
You are right that the US did not ratify the Convention on the rights of the Child. This means that they are not bound to the specifics of the convention. However the US did sign the convention which basically means that they agree with it, have the intention to ratify it, and that while they may not implement everything the convention outlines they will not do anything that goes against the overall goal of the treaty (violate rights of children).
Therefore, if this does occur the US would not be breaking the law of the Convention of the rights of the child which they did not ratify but they would still be breaking international law by violating the Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties.
It doesn't make sense that there are juvenile courts and prisons as well as sentences in the US. Yet time and time again they are ignored because the punishment is considered not to be tough enough. The result is an abuse of the legal system such as this. Many people don't realise that this boy would be held in an adult prison and "IF' found guilty will serve his sentence there too. If people are unhappy with the penalty for a crime then they should use the legal and political systems to get the law changed.
A few years ago an 11 yr old (Lionel Tate) was charged in Fl as an adult, when he was found guilty and the judge imposed the mandatory sentence of life without parole there was a public outcry. The judge stated that when the decision was made to try him as an adult my hands were tied. After appeals to the governor his sentence was changed. Sadly it was too late for this young boy who has been unable to handle life after prison.
As adults we do not allow 11 year olds to stay home alone, we enroll them in boy scouts and other 'character building' activities. We do not allow them to drive, they are only half way through their education. Yet when they commit some of the most serious crimes suddenly we believe against all logical and medical evidence that they are capable of understanding what they are doing!
If we no longer accept any cognitive differences between an 11 year old and a 30 year old then the age at which we are legally accepted as 'adults' and responsible for ourselves has to be reduced to 11 years and not 18.
Face it, a 13 year old can't drive. He can't vote. He certainly can't join the military. He isn't an adult. It's not right to try him as an adult. He still deserves some chance down the road to redeem himself.
Whenever a person is tried in a court of law he must be treated with a think that he is also a human being
In this case it seems to me that this kid is not going to recieve a fair treatment .
The U.S. is a world leader and it is expected from a leader that he should behave like in leaders way
In a country which is made up with d principle of democracy it is quite painful to see such a cruel murder of human rights
By giving life sentence without parole to Kids U.S. too become a kind of muderer…..!
irregardless is in the dictionary.
honestly i think the kid should pleased with life in prison. if it were my choice (thank god it’s not) i’d have the boy executed.
It is a scientific fact that children do not process thoughts and consequences as adults do. Which is why they are not responsible for themselves at 11 or 12 or 16. Can a child who kills be "fixed?" Yes. Can a child who kills be made worse? Yes.
My fiance, whom I dated at the age of 14, is now in prison. He is 39, and at the age of 16 was waived into the adult system after beating up someone who threatened his very life and the victim died as a result. There is a history behind my fiance's actions, reactions and thought process at that age. Excuse? No. Justification to take a life? No. But, there is usually a reason behind anyone's behavior. I wont air that here, as that would mean airing other people's issues involved as well. Most importantly is this.. Is he a threat to society? No way. He was placed in an adult prison as a teenager and the only aggression shown was to merely defend himself in a facility among adult male repeat offenders. He has been incarcerated for over 20 years and the majority of those years spent in a low level facility because he was not deemed violent, or a risk to the institution. Did he deserve to be separated from society? Absolutely. He was a danger then, in fact he was a danger to himself as well after he failed his own suicide attempt. There was obvious trauma and mental health issues that were never investigated. If there had been, his crime would never had occurred.
His words.."the several weeks leading up to that day were a blur. Like a fog. I felt like I was moving in a fog. I had run away from home to escape the physical abuse. They knew where I ran away to but everyone denied I was there. Several times I thought to call home so I could go back to my school and friends but I was too afraid to risk the beating that would happen when I returned. I got caught up in a situation over a drug debt that wasnt even mine. I followed the older person because he was older and I looked up to him. I wish I had called my family to come take me home but I cant now."
He has spent the last 20 plus years treating prison like college. He has taken every class offered, which isnt much. He has read 100s and 100s of books. Created and taught a creative writing class, studied law-providing legal service to other prisoners who were incarcerated. He has learned foreign languages by himself, graduated form Theology courses and graduated high school. He has made a choice to not be the animal his crime says he is. He has to prove to himself and others that he is so much more than his choice. His psych eval at his trial stated he was not beyond rehabilitation and he did not throw the key away on himself, like the system has done to him. I have encountered many people in life that are more of a threat to society than he will ever be. Is this a tragedy? Absolutely. A life was taken from this earth. Someone's child, brother, cousin, friend is gone. You cant bring that back. Does he deserve to be held accountable? Indeed. But is he any more of a danger than the repeat offender who gets 5 years and then comes back to prison for 5 five more and then 5 more? No. The saddest part of it all is that the entire situation was PREVENTABLE— had the responsible adults in his life had paid attention to his pleas for help. Instead, they labeled his behavior as a troublemaker instead of seeing he was troubled and needed help. When it all blew up, it was his entire fault and he was tossed away and forgotten. The youth of our country face more pressure than any other generation when it comes to being victimized by peers, crime and the justice system. Not to suggest that any other generation had it easy, but the youth nowadays are subjected to so much more violence, horrendous abuse, drugs and general neglect. Perhaps this would be the time to stop using an eye for an eye and take some time to make a difference in the lives of our youth and our troubled adults who were once troubled youth and PREVENT these things from happening. The youth of today are your future. If they are ignored and locked into a prison to mill about without rehabilitation, who will be your voices when you no longer are able to speak?
This is horrible! He is absolutely not an adult yet! What is wrong with our system, that this can actually be an issue. There have been enough studies on the development of the human brain to know that it is not any where near fully developed at the age of 11. Geez….. he's not even old enough to drive.
I hate to say it but I don’t think it’s unfair to put him on trial like an adult. Even at the tender age of 11 children have a VAERY clear definition of what’s right and what’s wrong.. we’re not talking about him stealing some candy from the store or even threatening to hurt somene. HE KILLED someone. There’s something wrong with this child that makes him a danger to society for life, without proper treatment. And even then, many children who have psychological problems and who DO receive treatment still remain a threat not only to society, but to themselves. Prison isn’t any worse than living on the street (where he’d likely end up) and at least in prison he has free medical care, food, shelter, protection, and access to resources that most americans can’t afford. not to mention he’ll naver have to work a day in his life or pay taxes.
You would seriously execute an 11 year old? Irregardless of what a child as young as that may have done, you are a sick and cruel fuck if you would let a child be executed or thrown into prison with NO CHANCE of parole. That is, NO CHANCE to make amends, or to show that they can behave better.
This just comes to show that America truly is a 3rd world country. They execute children, let anyone die who can’t pay for health insurance and pick fights. Go back to your sandhuts you little monkey cunts.
the problem here is that we only have 2 standards, child and adult – we actually need a third for those under 21 who commit terrible crimes. Our system is faulty and nothing will change until we change the system
He commited a serious crime, therefore he should be severely punished. Simple as that.
@BTABII SUCKS
You are in no position of accusing America of being a third world country when you are using words such as ‘irregardless’.
Shame on you, Amnesty International!!
You are resorting to the same sort of distortion that we see regularly coming out of the mouths of politicians and pundits! The ends do NOT justify the means.
The US would NOT be violating international law because it has not ratified the Convention on the Rights of a Child.
You must never sacrifice truth in your search for justice.
I am 12 years old and what is this?
where was his father?
why did this kid have a gun?
the parents should be punished and society,too.
Okay lets back this up a bit. To all of you who say that this eleven year old child knows right from wrong and therefore deserves the punishment I would like to draw your attention to something called the human brain. The human brain does not fully develop till around the age of 20. This means that the rational ability of an 11 year old is severely impaired. A child cannot conceptualize consequences like an adult nor can they fully understand death. Children do not have the ability to understand complex relationships, or their place in the world as a whole. This means they cannot conceptualize future events. These inabilities have on simple result, they cannot understand right from wrong, they cannot understand what is good or bad or why. This is why they rely on adults to teach them. Racism hatred and violence are taught as is tolerance love and peace. This cannot be debated it is a biological fact and it has been this way since the dawn of man, its the way we are designed. This is simply a matter of poor parenting. That is what you put on trial. Clearly this child has a serious problem that was not getting addressed in his home. It is therefore more logical to place him in a controlled environment that sees to his special needs. The problem in this matter is simply that those responsible for him failed, the answer is not to lock him up as if he were a feral dog but instead provide him the environment he needs for successful growth into adulthood.
The US would possibly be violating international law IF it had ratified the UN Convention on the Rights of a Child. But it didn’t. Whether or not the US is violating human rights is not the same as questioning whether it is violating international law. Amnesty International should be able to make logical arguments without generating false premises.
If you think children should go to jail, do you also think we should have child soldiers, let children vote, or let them drink alcohol. The blurb also does not go into the details: the kid could have just found his dad’s gun and fired it by accident.
Do we try to one-up Somalia and go for the death penalty? We're much closer to that than any meaningful definition of civilized, much less "leader" or "progressive".
Can't have our cake and eat it too. Either people under the age of 18 are too young to realize the consequences of their actions and make their own decisions, or they're not. Could this kid vote? Could he choose whether or not to go to school? Make his own medical decisions? Nono, he was too young to make decisions THEN, but at the moment he killed somebody he was suddenly thinking clearly and rationally, before going back to being just a kid.
I'd actually be okay with letting our youth take some control over their own lives that we don't let them now, and if we did that then maybe it would be justifiable to process them in the same court system we reserve for citizens, but otherwise it's grossly unfair and hypocritical, regardless of what the kid did.
He has a right to criticize, who has a heart to help.
Abraham Lincoln
In response to EYK:
You are right that the US did not ratify the Convention on the rights of the Child. This means that they are not bound to the specifics of the convention. However the US did sign the convention which basically means that they agree with it, have the intention to ratify it, and that while they may not implement everything the convention outlines they will not do anything that goes against the overall goal of the treaty (violate rights of children).
Therefore, if this does occur the US would not be breaking the law of the Convention of the rights of the child which they did not ratify but they would still be breaking international law by violating the Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties.
It doesn’t make sense that there are juvenile courts and prisons as well as sentences in the US. Yet time and time again they are ignored because the punishment is considered not to be tough enough. The result is an abuse of the legal system such as this. Many people don’t realise that this boy would be held in an adult prison and “IF’ found guilty will serve his sentence there too. If people are unhappy with the penalty for a crime then they should use the legal and political systems to get the law changed.
A few years ago an 11 yr old (Lionel Tate) was charged in Fl as an adult, when he was found guilty and the judge imposed the mandatory sentence of life without parole there was a public outcry. The judge stated that when the decision was made to try him as an adult my hands were tied. After appeals to the governor his sentence was changed. Sadly it was too late for this young boy who has been unable to handle life after prison.
As adults we do not allow 11 year olds to stay home alone, we enroll them in boy scouts and other ‘character building’ activities. We do not allow them to drive, they are only half way through their education. Yet when they commit some of the most serious crimes suddenly we believe against all logical and medical evidence that they are capable of understanding what they are doing!
If we no longer accept any cognitive differences between an 11 year old and a 30 year old then the age at which we are legally accepted as ‘adults’ and responsible for ourselves has to be reduced to 11 years and not 18.
Face it, a 13 year old can’t drive. He can’t vote. He certainly can’t join the military. He isn’t an adult. It’s not right to try him as an adult. He still deserves some chance down the road to redeem himself.
irregardless is in the dictionary.
It is a scientific fact that children do not process thoughts and consequences as adults do. Which is why they are not responsible for themselves at 11 or 12 or 16. Can a child who kills be “fixed?” Yes. Can a child who kills be made worse? Yes.
My fiance, whom I dated at the age of 14, is now in prison. He is 39, and at the age of 16 was waived into the adult system after beating up someone who threatened his very life and the victim died as a result. There is a history behind my fiance’s actions, reactions and thought process at that age. Excuse? No. Justification to take a life? No. But, there is usually a reason behind anyone’s behavior. I wont air that here, as that would mean airing other people’s issues involved as well. Most importantly is this.. Is he a threat to society? No way. He was placed in an adult prison as a teenager and the only aggression shown was to merely defend himself in a facility among adult male repeat offenders. He has been incarcerated for over 20 years and the majority of those years spent in a low level facility because he was not deemed violent, or a risk to the institution. Did he deserve to be separated from society? Absolutely. He was a danger then, in fact he was a danger to himself as well after he failed his own suicide attempt. There was obvious trauma and mental health issues that were never investigated. If there had been, his crime would never had occurred.
His words..”the several weeks leading up to that day were a blur. Like a fog. I felt like I was moving in a fog. I had run away from home to escape the physical abuse. They knew where I ran away to but everyone denied I was there. Several times I thought to call home so I could go back to my school and friends but I was too afraid to risk the beating that would happen when I returned. I got caught up in a situation over a drug debt that wasnt even mine. I followed the older person because he was older and I looked up to him. I wish I had called my family to come take me home but I cant now.”
He has spent the last 20 plus years treating prison like college. He has taken every class offered, which isnt much. He has read 100s and 100s of books. Created and taught a creative writing class, studied law-providing legal service to other prisoners who were incarcerated. He has learned foreign languages by himself, graduated form Theology courses and graduated high school. He has made a choice to not be the animal his crime says he is. He has to prove to himself and others that he is so much more than his choice. His psych eval at his trial stated he was not beyond rehabilitation and he did not throw the key away on himself, like the system has done to him. I have encountered many people in life that are more of a threat to society than he will ever be. Is this a tragedy? Absolutely. A life was taken from this earth. Someone’s child, brother, cousin, friend is gone. You cant bring that back. Does he deserve to be held accountable? Indeed. But is he any more of a danger than the repeat offender who gets 5 years and then comes back to prison for 5 five more and then 5 more? No. The saddest part of it all is that the entire situation was PREVENTABLE— had the responsible adults in his life had paid attention to his pleas for help. Instead, they labeled his behavior as a troublemaker instead of seeing he was troubled and needed help. When it all blew up, it was his entire fault and he was tossed away and forgotten. The youth of our country face more pressure than any other generation when it comes to being victimized by peers, crime and the justice system. Not to suggest that any other generation had it easy, but the youth nowadays are subjected to so much more violence, horrendous abuse, drugs and general neglect. Perhaps this would be the time to stop using an eye for an eye and take some time to make a difference in the lives of our youth and our troubled adults who were once troubled youth and PREVENT these things from happening. The youth of today are your future. If they are ignored and locked into a prison to mill about without rehabilitation, who will be your voices when you no longer are able to speak?
This is horrible! He is absolutely not an adult yet! What is wrong with our system, that this can actually be an issue. There have been enough studies on the development of the human brain to know that it is not any where near fully developed at the age of 11. Geez….. he’s not even old enough to drive.
the problem here is that we only have 2 standards, child and adult – we actually need a third for those under 21 who commit terrible crimes. Our system is faulty and nothing will change until we change the system
A country responsible for killing thousands and thousands of children's in Iraq and Afghanistan without being noticed seriously and responsible for most of the miseries suffered by humanity all around the world, will hear the call of Human Right Activist ? I dont think so
Shame on you, Amnesty International!!
You are resorting to the same sort of distortion that we see regularly coming out of the mouths of politicians and pundits! The ends do NOT justify the means.
The US would NOT be violating international law because it has not ratified the Convention on the Rights of a Child.
You must never sacrifice truth in your search for justice.
where was his father?
why did this kid have a gun?
the parents should be punished and society,too.
Too, Good… Amnesty Must Conduct a Research of Iraq Missing and Injured Children How they are Passing lives after US Bombing Snatch their Body Parts ??
Do we try to one-up Somalia and go for the death penalty? We’re much closer to that than any meaningful definition of civilized, much less “leader” or “progressive”.
Can’t have our cake and eat it too. Either people under the age of 18 are too young to realize the consequences of their actions and make their own decisions, or they’re not. Could this kid vote? Could he choose whether or not to go to school? Make his own medical decisions? Nono, he was too young to make decisions THEN, but at the moment he killed somebody he was suddenly thinking clearly and rationally, before going back to being just a kid.
I’d actually be okay with letting our youth take some control over their own lives that we don’t let them now, and if we did that then maybe it would be justifiable to process them in the same court system we reserve for citizens, but otherwise it’s grossly unfair and hypocritical, regardless of what the kid did.
He has a right to criticize, who has a heart to help.
Abraham Lincoln
A country responsible for killing thousands and thousands of children’s in Iraq and Afghanistan without being noticed seriously and responsible for most of the miseries suffered by humanity all around the world, will hear the call of Human Right Activist ? I dont think so
Vocês, americanos, estão loucos. Esta criança precisa de acompanhamento psicológico e não prisão perpétua. Vocês só respondem com violência.
Too, Good… Amnesty Must Conduct a Research of Iraq Missing and Injured Children How they are Passing lives after US Bombing Snatch their Body Parts ??
There is a said: give to the bad child, more love and less stick, so goes the child…where they are treated with affection.
Only God knows the reasons why a child is capable of killing but what is certain is that a happy child loved and understood would hardly kill anyone.
The values that we transmit to children, the children give to society; if we really educate children on the values of love and joy it would be not necessary to create some laws to punish men.
What is clear is that the word called "progress" makes no sense when it comes to judging a child, because this is like judging the victim, to judge someone who commits a crime because their suffering is really crazy, especially when the purpose of this act is a child.
A state that allows Childs suffering by a trial and looked at him with contempt, shows a great lack of human resources as love and compassion.
If those who promulgate God’s love and the word of Jesus, are capable of judging and tormenting kids … honestly I choose to Satan.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CNYG9cXTSds
There is a said: give to the bad child, more love and less stick, so goes the child…where they are treated with affection.
Only God knows the reasons why a child is capable of killing but what is certain is that a happy child loved and understood would hardly kill anyone.
The values that we transmit to children, the children give to society; if we really educate children on the values of love and joy it would be not necessary to create some laws to punish men.
What is clear is that the word called "progress" makes no sense when it comes to judging a child, because this is like judging the victim, to judge someone who commits a crime because their suffering is really crazy, especially when the purpose of this act is a child.
A state that allows Childs suffering by a trial and looked at him with contempt, shows a great lack of human resources as love and compassion.
If those who promulgate God’s love and the word of Jesus, are capable of judging and tormenting kids … honestly I choose to Satan.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CNYG9cXTSds
There is a said: give to the bad child, more love and less stick, so goes the child…where they are treated with affection.
Only God knows the reasons why a child is capable of killing but what is certain is that a happy child loved and understood would hardly kill anyone.
The values that we transmit to children, the children give to society; if we really educate children on the values of love and joy it would be not necessary to create some laws to punish men.
What is clear is that the word called "progress" makes no sense when it comes to judging a child, because this is like judging the victim, to judge someone who commits a crime because their suffering is really crazy, especially when the purpose of this act is a child.
A state that allows Childs suffering by a trial and looked at him with contempt, shows a great lack of human resources as love and compassion.
If those who promulgate God’s love and the word of Jesus, are capable of judging and tormenting kids … honestly I choose to Satan.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CNYG9cXTSds
Vocês, americanos, estão loucos. Esta criança precisa de acompanhamento psicológico e não prisão perpétua. Vocês só respondem com violência.
There is a said: give to the bad child, more love and less stick, so goes the child…where they are treated with affection.
Only God knows the reasons why a child is capable of killing but what is certain is that a happy child loved and understood would hardly kill anyone.
The values that we transmit to children, the children give to society; if we really educate children on the values of love and joy it would be not necessary to create some laws to punish men.
What is clear is that the word called “progress” makes no sense when it comes to judging a child, because this is like judging the victim, to judge someone who commits a crime because their suffering is really crazy, especially when the purpose of this act is a child.
A state that allows Childs suffering by a trial and looked at him with contempt, shows a great lack of human resources as love and compassion.
If those who promulgate God’s love and the word of Jesus, are capable of judging and tormenting kids … honestly I choose to Satan.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CNYG9cXTSds
So the reason that they want to try this boy as an adult is because a judge said that he wont "acknowledge the crime", and therefor is "unlikely to be rehabilitated in juvenile court".
But why would anyone expect someone to "acknowledge a crime" when it hasn't even gone to court?
This seems very much like an old fashion witch hunt to me.
"The problem with quotes on the internet is that you can never tell if they are authentic." – Abraham Lincoln
So the reason that they want to try this boy as an adult is because a judge said that he wont “acknowledge the crime”, and therefor is “unlikely to be rehabilitated in juvenile court”.
But why would anyone expect someone to “acknowledge a crime” when it hasn’t even gone to court?
This seems very much like an old fashion witch hunt to me.
“The problem with quotes on the internet is that you can never tell if they are authentic.” – Abraham Lincoln
you people make me sick, not one word about the woman he shot, fry the asturd
you people make me sick, not one word about the woman he shot, fry the asturd
Supporting an appropriate trial system and treatment for an ALLEGED offender, in NO way means that there is no sympathy for the victim. I find it amazing that a country that accuses China, and several middle eastern countries barbaric and lacking in human rights., could consider the of this child and others as humane. It is incomprehensible that ANYONE would consider execution of a minor.
Supporting an appropriate trial system and treatment for an ALLEGED offender, in NO way means that there is no sympathy for the victim. I find it amazing that a country that accuses China, and several middle eastern countries of barbaric treatment of their citizens and of lacking in human rights., could consider the treatment of this child and others as humane. It is incomprehensible that ANYONE would consider the execution of a minor.
He killed a woman and her UNBORN CHILD. Sorry, but I think 11 is an old enough age to know that's bad. I don't care what they do to him, to be honest.
And you people saying, "he's not old enough to drive, vote" etc…that is irrelevant. What does that have to do with knowing right from wrong? Nothing.
Supporting an appropriate trial system and treatment for an ALLEGED offender, in NO way means that there is no sympathy for the victim. I find it amazing that a country that accuses China, and several middle eastern countries barbaric and lacking in human rights., could consider the of this child and others as humane. It is incomprehensible that ANYONE would consider execution of a minor.
Supporting an appropriate trial system and treatment for an ALLEGED offender, in NO way means that there is no sympathy for the victim. I find it amazing that a country that accuses China, and several middle eastern countries of barbaric treatment of their citizens and of lacking in human rights., could consider the treatment of this child and others as humane. It is incomprehensible that ANYONE would consider the execution of a minor.
He killed a woman and her UNBORN CHILD. Sorry, but I think 11 is an old enough age to know that’s bad. I don’t care what they do to him, to be honest.
And you people saying, “he’s not old enough to drive, vote” etc…that is irrelevant. What does that have to do with knowing right from wrong? Nothing.
It is not that the child should understand that killing is wrong…It is that he is vulnerable because he is not mentally developed to foresee consequences as stated above…He is vulnerable because he can not change the family he is living with, his living condition or situation…a child can not understand that there are child protection laws…that he has options…that is how the world may close in on a child. It does not justify his actions, but he shold definitely get a chance at rehabilitation.
It is not that the child should understand that killing is wrong…It is that he is vulnerable because he is not mentally developed to foresee consequences as stated above…He is vulnerable because he can not change the family he is living with, his living condition or situation…a child can not understand that there are child protection laws…that he has options…that is how the world may close in on a child. It does not justify his actions, but he shold definitely get a chance at rehabilitation.
Great comments and points about how this child should not be tried as an adult. I'm glad to see there are a few sane folk left in our county, too bad we aren't running the legal system. For folks who say fry the kid or treat him like an adult, SHAME ON YOU. It is the cruel and disgusting way we treat children as adults in our society that account for so much of the evil in this world. And unfortunately, this sentiment of children as "little" adults accounts for the exposure that many children get to twisted adults' actions and hate. I'm praying for everyone, especially this troubled child who needs help and not incarceration.
Great comments and points about how this child should not be tried as an adult. I’m glad to see there are a few sane folk left in our county, too bad we aren’t running the legal system. For folks who say fry the kid or treat him like an adult, SHAME ON YOU. It is the cruel and disgusting way we treat children as adults in our society that account for so much of the evil in this world. And unfortunately, this sentiment of children as “little” adults accounts for the exposure that many children get to twisted adults’ actions and hate. I’m praying for everyone, especially this troubled child who needs help and not incarceration.
Children below the age of 18 are already protected from the death penalty,
no matter how heinous the crime. I favor no further protection unless the
death penalty is eliminated for adults. Then I recommend the maximum
penalty for children be reduced to life imprisonment with eligibility for parole
after a maximum of 40 years. Someone old enough to commit murder is
old enough to know right from wrong (unless legally insane), they deserve
more than a slap on the wrist.
I just want to know—a 13 year old child is not allowed to obtain a driver's license, own real property, sign a contract, contract marriage, adopt a younger child, join the armed forces, or consent to medical treatment. Such a child would not be allowed to legally purchase a firearm, or alcoholic beverages, or cigarettes. Why? Because he/she is recognized not to be capable of, or have the maturity to, assume the legal responsibilities implicit in any of these, and their need for protection from society is recognized. That is a fact. Now, how on earth does a child of that age suddenly become eligible to be "tried as an adult" when in no other context would he/she have any privilege of an adult???? HOW can we justify that? I am very sorry for the victim, but this is ludicrous.
Children below the age of 18 are already protected from the death penalty,
no matter how heinous the crime. I favor no further protection unless the
death penalty is eliminated for adults. Then I recommend the maximum
penalty for children be reduced to life imprisonment with eligibility for parole
after a maximum of 40 years. Someone old enough to commit murder is
old enough to know right from wrong (unless legally insane), they deserve
more than a slap on the wrist.
I just want to know—a 13 year old child is not allowed to obtain a driver’s license, own real property, sign a contract, contract marriage, adopt a younger child, join the armed forces, or consent to medical treatment. Such a child would not be allowed to legally purchase a firearm, or alcoholic beverages, or cigarettes. Why? Because he/she is recognized not to be capable of, or have the maturity to, assume the legal responsibilities implicit in any of these, and their need for protection from society is recognized. That is a fact. Now, how on earth does a child of that age suddenly become eligible to be “tried as an adult” when in no other context would he/she have any privilege of an adult???? HOW can we justify that? I am very sorry for the victim, but this is ludicrous.
Give him the chair!
Give him the chair!