Quote:
Originally Posted by juwaack68
So if a kid isn't responsible for their actions until they are 18, how can we try a kid for murder as an adult at 13?
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Asked my DH about this.
Apparently - at least in Ohio - if a juvenile is between the ages of 13 and 17 and if he commits a certain type of crime (think brutally violent), then the judge must automatically try him as an adult because of statutes that require it.
Basically there have been cases in the past where a young person committed murder/rape/some other violent offense, and got 2 years or less because they were a juvenile, and then went on to reoffend as soon as they were released. And the public became outraged and passed laws forcing longer (read: adult) sentences for juveniles who commit those specific violent acts.
There are also cases where a judge can choose to send a non-violent juvenile through adult courts if he's a repeat offender (drugs, theft, etc.) who has already been through juvee a few times and it's had no effect thus far.