Juvenile Death Penalty Essay - 1353 Words

Juvenile Death Penalty One of the most controversial questions in the juvenile justice system today is, Should the death penalty be applied to juveniles?†. A lot of people think that the death penalty for juveniles is cruel and unusual punishment and should only be used for adults. The crimes that juveniles commit are as dangerous and as violent as adult crimes. People argue that the adolescent brain does not mature until the late teens or early twenties, and that death penalty should not be the resolution. Some studies show that childhood abuse or neglect can causes the child to commit crimes when they grow to adulthood. Debate about the use of the death penalty for juveniles has grown more intense because of the crimes they are†¦show more content†¦Kent held that juveniles were entitled to a hearing, representation by counsel, access to information upon which the waiver decision was based, and a statement of reasons justifying the waiver decision. It included the sop histication and maturity of the juvenile as determined by consideration of his or her home life, environmental situation, emotional attitude, and pattern of living. These rights we made so that the justice courts can provide guidance and rehabilitation for the juvenile also with protection for society. There are some juveniles out there who are extremely dangerous and do not wish to change the way they are living their life. In 1988 the case of Thompson v. Oklahoma it claimed that the Constitution prohibits execution for crimes committed at age 15. The outcome of the decision was that a State’s execution of a juvenile who had committed a capital offense prior to age 16 violated Thompson unless the State had a minimum age limit in its death penalty. (2) The court decided that juveniles younger than 16 when they committed a crime may not be executed. Wayne Thompson is serving a life sentence in prison without the possibility of parole. Another case in the juvenile death penalty cases is Atkins v. Virginia; The U.S. Supreme Court banned the execution of mentally retarded persons in 2002. Justices ruled that executing mentally retarded criminals violates the Constitutions ban on cruel and unusual punishment. The most importantShow MoreRelatedEssay on No Death Penalty for Juveniles2164 Words   |  9 Pagesthat the death penalty is, â€Å"the punishment of execution, administered to someone legally convicted of a capital crime.† Capital crimes array from murder to drug trafficking. In the United States the death penalty is mostly administered towards first-degree murder, with non-murder crimes varying by state. â€Å"Currently, only 58 nations actively practice the death penalty, with 96 countries having abolished it, the remainder have not used the death penalty for 10 years or only allow for death in exceptionalRead MoreJuveniles and The Death Penalty Essay1604 Words   |  7 PagesJuveniles and The Death Penalty *No Works Cited One of the most controversial issues in the rights of juveniles today is addressed in the question, Should the death penalty be applied to juveniles? For nearly a century the juvenile courts have existed to shield the majority of juvenile offenders from the full weight of criminal law and to protect their entitled special rights and immunities. In the case of kent vs. United states in 1996, Justice Fortas stated some of these special rightsRead MoreEssay on Juvenile Death Penalty3656 Words   |  15 Pagesunconstitutional to sentence a juvenile under the age of 18 to the death penalty. Before, Roper v. Simmons, in Thompson v. Oklahoma it had been decided that only those under the age of 16 could not be considered for the death penalty. Were these decisions correct? If an adolescent can commit such a heinous crime as homicide should they not also be able then to handle the consequences? The other side of the argument against the juvenile death penalty states that juveniles do not ha ve the same reasoningRead MoreEssay on Juvenile Death Penalty1824 Words   |  8 PagesDeath at 18? One of the most controversial issues in the country today is addressed in the question, Should the death penalty be applied to juveniles, and if so how young is too young? The death penalty has been in the United States for many, many years, and the United States still has yet to figure out how to solve all its dilemmas and whether or not the penalty is right or wrong. Debates about the use of the death penalty for juveniles have grown more intense because of the recent demand forRead More Death Penalty Applied to Juveniles Essay1684 Words   |  7 PagesDeath Penalty Applied to Juveniles   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In 1643 a sixteen year old boy was put to death for sodomizing a cow. Three hundred and fifty years later, sixteen states have legitimized the execution of juveniles. Four of those twelve states have lowered the legal age of execution to twelve. For whatever reasons the death penalty has been supported by the public since this countrys existence. In this day and age of increasing violence, both juvenile and adult, it is time to re-examine the use Read MoreWhat Do You Think About The Juvenile Death Penalty? Many1622 Words   |  7 PagesWhat do you think about the juvenile death penalty? Many sides are against this kind of thing. They believe that juveniles are not fully matured and give in too easily to peer pressure. Juveniles are smart enough to know wrong from right even if they are getting pressured to do something. This essay is pro for death penalty for juveniles, because they can make their own decisions in their life. For starters this paper is going to give some information from people who think there should never beRead MoreThe Death Penalty Should Not Apply985 Words   |  4 PagesThe death penalty should not apply to juveniles. When considering juveniles there are a lot of boundaries to have for them (Johnson, Welch, 2002). For example, minors can’t vote, or live by themselves, and have bank accounts (Johnson, Welch, 2002). This is a very true when it comes to miners. Furthermore, under the age of 18 you are not even considered an adult. Because of this the death penalty should not even be an option for them. There was also a section for people being for the death penaltyRead MoreThe Death Penalty Of Capital Punishment960 Words   |  4 PagesThe justice system is filled with opposition. Those who support the use of Supermax, the death penalty and the execution of those who are mentally retarded and juveniles, and those who oppose the above mentioned. The following essay will discuss all mentioned topics. In evaluating the use of â€Å"Supermax† against the long-term pathologies it creates, one must first consider what pathogies it actually creates: (1) It plays a role in producing or exacerbating mental illness in prison; (2) it affectsRead MoreThe Death Penalty Debate Essay1638 Words   |  7 Pages In the United States, the use of the death penalty continues to be a controversial issue. Every election year, politicians, wishing to appeal to the moral sentiments of voters, routinely compete with each other as to who will be toughest in extending the death penalty to those persons who have been convicted of first-degree murder. Both proponents and opponents of capital punishment present compelling arguments to support their claims. Often their arguments are made on different interpretationsRead MoreJuvenile and the Death Penalty1817 Words   |  8 PagesBurris ENG101 Dr. Ankerberg March 6, 2007 Essay #2 Juveniles and the Death Penalty Today, minors are using their age as a shield against capital punishment. Adolescents believe that since they are not eighteen they will not be punished for the crimes they commit. The death penalty is appropriate for juveniles in certain circumstances, such as murder and brutal crimes that are considered capital offenses. The rate at which the death penalty is carried out, as well as inconstancies in sentencing