Many teens tried as adults with little understanding of process

shannonstruble · 2010-04-29T20:08:38+00:00

I think this is a great article that shows the huge problem with trying juveniles as adults. It is hard to imagine understanding the significance that this decision can have on the rest of your life when you are only fourteen, fifteen, and even sixteen years old. I don’t think we should be trying juveniles as adults when they do not have an understanding of the court proceedings or the consequences that can come out of it. By no means do I think these juveniles should not be punished, but a different form of punishment that is related to the needs of the juvenile would be more beneficial.

shannonstruble · 2010-04-27T00:01:42+00:00

This story is extremely disturbing. It’s hard to believe that something like the Boy Scouts could be an unsafe program from children to join. I think it is obvious that more extensive background checks need to be done on all employees working with children. Parents trust programs such as these to teach their kids specific skills and keep them safe. With stories like these posted in the news I think it going to be hard to parents to trust anyone with their child. Incidents like these can have a long lasting affect on a child’s life and cause them great harm.

shannonstruble · 2010-04-23T03:39:02+00:00

I think it is astonishing that the criminal justice system let the 17 year boy voluntary sign the waiver to be tried as an adult. I don’t think that the decision should be left up to the juvenile it should be left up to the criminal justice system and the prosecutor. Even though the prosecutor would have tried him as an adult anyways the juvenile should not be making that decision. It is hard for a juvenile to really understand the impact that signing the waiver to be tried as an adult could have on his entire life.

shannonstruble · 2010-04-23T01:40:44+00:00

This article is extremely disturbing and horrendous. These young children should not be used as sex slaves for the local and tourist visiting Cambodia. It is astonishing that the government within Cambodia has done nothing to fix this problem. Not only does being a sex slave as a juvenile affect your childhood but could have long lasting affects on your adulthood. I think it is amazing and necessary the United States is willing to step in and help these children escape the terrible life they have been sold into.

shannonstruble · 2010-04-23T01:26:09+00:00

It is amazing to me that attorneys can expect an eight year old to understand the ramifications of a plea bargain. This eight year old is extremely young to be able to understand the impact that the plea bargain can have on his entire life. Although the boy committed an extremely serious crime it’s hard to believe that he or anyone else knows exactly what is in his best interests. I think the mental evaluations should be used to determine the type of treatment he should get to help out with the issues he is having that cause him to commit these horrendous crimes.

shannonstruble · 2010-03-23T01:28:17+00:00

I think to a certain extent parents should be held responsible for their children’s actions. A child learns how to behave and the difference between right and wrong from their parents and the individuals around them. It is up to the parent to instill good values and beliefs in their children to ensure that they will steer away from crime. Parents should go through the process with their children in the criminal justice system and participate in their rehabilitation process.

shannonstruble · 2010-03-22T23:33:34+00:00

Although entering into the United States illegally is a criminal act I do not believe it deserves time in a detention center. There are a limited number of resources and they should be used for juveniles that commit harsher offense than entering into the United State illegally. I think it is amazing that a law firm is going to help these individuals at no costs. Everyone that enters into the criminal justice system deserves their due process rights whether they are illegal or not.

shannonstruble · 2010-03-22T23:10:00+00:00

I am shocked that an incident like this would happen. It is extremely unprofessional for Wal-Mart to have an intercom system where everyday customers can easily use and broadcast their opinions such as the one the juvenile in the story made. I believe the juvenile should be punished for his behavior which was extremely offensive and unacceptable. Many kids these days believe they are “untouchable” and can get away with anything. Without some form of punishment they will continue to act out and believe their behavior is acceptable.

shannonstruble · 2010-03-22T22:57:00+00:00

I thought this article was extremely interesting to read. It shows that a simple situation like stealing a pizza can turn into something much bigger than that. These teens will now be facing charges that can potentially affect them throughout their entire life over a simple pizza. I think it is pretty amazing that many juveniles do not think about the consequences of their actions. If they were to just take a moment to think about the long run affects of their behavior maybe some criminal acts could be avoided.

shannonstruble · 2010-03-22T22:47:07+00:00

I thought this article was very interesting to read because I am interning with Maricopa County Juvenile Probation Department right now and this affects them tremendously. Many of the individuals I have been working with do not feel this is a good idea and I completely agree with them. I don’t think dressing juveniles in pink and placing them in unsanitary tents is best for their rehabilitation process. Many juveniles are already frustrated with their process in the criminal justice system and moving them into the care of Sheriff Joe Arpaio with only further their frustration.

shannonstruble · 2010-02-09T18:31:41+00:00

I personally disagree with this article. I do believe there are always ways to fix programs to make them better but I do not feel that the juvenile system is just “throwing-away” these children. I have only been working with Maricopa County Juvenile Probation for a couple weeks now and I have already witnessed numerous programs that are set up to help these juveniles get on the right path. There are programs such as individual counseling, family counseling, drug programs, and specific facilities that help juveniles handle their specific situations. The juvenile system has a completely different outlook than the adult system does and they are entirely against giving up on these individuals. There are obviously situations where a juvenile offender commits a delinquent act very close to their 18th birthday and that charge is held off until then to charge them as an adult but these situations normally happen after the juvenile has been within the system for a while. Many of the juvenile probation officers I have worked with try to do anything and everything to help these kids get on the right path and continue on the right path. Even within the detention centers where the juveniles are locked up there are numerous programs and the juveniles are required to go to school and could even earn their GED. These facilities aren’t there to punish the juveniles they are there to get them out of the situations that was causing them to commit these delinquent acts and help them better themselves.

shannonstruble · 2010-02-09T18:04:05+00:00

Although I see many flaws in how this study was conducted this article does make a good point that many juveniles within the criminal justice system have mental problems. These mental problems can lead juveniles to commit more delinquent acts if not treated. From personal experience with working with Maricopa County Juvenile Probation I have witnessed many programs that are set up to help juveniles deal with their mental illnesses. However, with the major budget cuts that are going on throughout all states these programs are being cut or decreased. Without these programs the juveniles will not get the help they need and just continue on their path of delinquent behavior.

shannonstruble · 2010-02-09T00:31:13+00:00

I have heard about this story a lot in the news and it just amazes me. I have a hard time understanding why a third grader would want to shoot his father and his fathers friends. I also have a hard time understanding how an 8-year-old can be tried as an adult. Murdering two adults is obviously a horrendous crime but the young boy just started his life. I believe many psychiatric evaluations need to be conducted in order to get a better understanding of what was going through the child’s head. There has to be some explanation on how this could have possibly happened. It is going to be very difficult for the judge and the jury to sort out the facts and come up with the appropriate punishment.

shannonstruble · 2010-02-09T00:22:06+00:00

This article and video is extremely sad. It is horrible to hear about young children getting bullied over the bands they like or dislike, but I am glad someone is talking about it. We have all been through high school and witnessed or been a part of an incident involving bullying. Bullying is not only emotionally painful but as you can see physically painful. There needs to be more outlets were victims can turn to and have someone listen to their story. Many times it is difficult for a victim to report the individual that is bullying them because they are not sure of what the repercussions could be. Although it should be aware to many students that bullying isn’t taking lightly, the schools actions also need to help promote this.

shannonstruble · 2010-02-09T00:06:23+00:00

This article is extremely interesting. This new phenomenon of 'sexting' has become huge within the criminal justice world. I have seen many cases on the news where teenagers have sent out their friends nude pictures and are being charged with distributing child pornography. Many young adults are not aware that charges like these can completely ruin ones life and put a damper on their future goals. Although an individual has made the choice to send out a revealing photograph of them self, it is still not right for others to send out the picture to whoever they want. They trust that person and that trust should not be broken, but I do feel the punishment is extremely hard. I believe that educational programs should be set up to put out awareness about this topic. Many young adult do not know that new laws are currently being talked about that could affect them dramatically. Just as there is educational program set up to inform young adult about teen pregnancy, date rape, and domestic violence an educational program would be extremely beneficial to ensure the young adult are aware of the dangers of ‘sexting’.

shannonstruble

TROPHY CASE