Boy, 12, could be charged as adult in killing

[Gunny]

Associated Press
updated 6:20 p.m. CT, Mon., Jan. 7, 2008

LAUDERHILL, Fla. - Prosecutors are reviewing whether a 12-year-old boy should be charged as an adult after police accused him of fatally beating his toddler cousin with a baseball bat for interrupting a cartoon show.

The boy, whose name was not released, was being held in juvenile custody in the death of 17-month-old Shaloh Joseph, who police said enraged the suspect by crying while he watched television.

more ... http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/22530241/

Not too sure about this. Does the heinousness of the crime make a 12 years old any more mature, or any more of an adult?

If it's about meting out more severe punishment, then change the laws to hold children more accountable for their actions.

Just appears rather selective to me. We can't hold kids accountable for most of their actions, and in some states you can go to jail for punishing them. Yet society expects them to know right from wrong ....

[JohnDoe]

Not too sure about this. Does the heinousness of the crime make a 12 years old any more mature, or any more of an adult?

If it's about meting out more severe punishment, then change the laws to hold children more accountable for their actions.

Just appears rather selective to me. We can't hold kids accountable for most of their actions, and in some states you can go to jail for punishing them. Yet society expects them to know right from wrong ....

good questions and comments gunny,

and i agree that although the crime is dispicable, it is wrong to charge a 12 year old as an adult. I thought the age of consent is chosen or the legal age is chosen due to the underdevelopment of the brain until those times?

they should strengthen punishments/ change laws for juveniles of hienous crimes but not chg them as adults, agreed.

jd

[nevadamedic]

good questions and comments gunny,

and i agree that although the crime is dispicable, it is wrong to charge a 12 year old as an adult. I thought the age of consent is chosen or the legal age is chosen due to the underdevelopment of the brain until those times?

they should strengthen punishments/ change laws for juveniles of hienous crimes but not chg them as adults, agreed.

jd

This is a tough call as there are good arguements on both sides. At the very least he should be in a Juvinile facility until he turns 18 or 21 if they could get away with that............... They could at the very least run some tests on the boy to see where his maturity and mental capacity is at...................

[gabosaurus]

Why charge a 12 year old with anything? At that age, kids are a product of their environment. They have learned from their upbringing.
What kind of parents (or lack of such) does the child have? Are his parents abusive? Has he been allowed to watch violent movies or TV shows, or play violent video games?

In one of my grad classes, we studied a couple of cases like this. One in particular struck me.
In England, an 11 year old boy got into a dispute with a neighbor, a 9 year old boy. It progressed into typical childish name calling. The 11 year old went home, got a tire jack handle and savagely beat the other kid to death.
Police investigating the case found that his parents were both alcoholics. His dad had a bad temper and frequently threatened to "beat people to death."
The kid, in his 12 year old state of mind, merely thought that was the way adults settled arguments.

[manu1959]

Why charge a 12 year old with anything? At that age, kids are a product of their environment. They have learned from their upbringing.
What kind of parents (or lack of such) does the child have? Are his parents abusive? Has he been allowed to watch violent movies or TV shows, or play violent video games?

In one of my grad classes, we studied a couple of cases like this. One in particular struck me.
In England, an 11 year old boy got into a dispute with a neighbor, a 9 year old boy. It progressed into typical childish name calling. The 11 year old went home, got a tire jack handle and savagely beat the other kid to death.
Police investigating the case found that his parents were both alcoholics. His dad had a bad temper and frequently threatened to "beat people to death."
The kid, in his 12 year old state of mind, merely thought that was the way adults settled arguments.

and the dead child and his family........

[LuvRPgrl]

Why charge a 12 year old with anything? At that age, kids are a product of their environment. They have learned from their upbringing.
What kind of parents (or lack of such) does the child have? Are his parents abusive? Has he been allowed to watch violent movies or TV shows, or play violent video games?

In one of my grad classes, we studied a couple of cases like this. One in particular struck me.
In England, an 11 year old boy got into a dispute with a neighbor, a 9 year old boy. It progressed into typical childish name calling. The 11 year old went home, got a tire jack handle and savagely beat the other kid to death.
Police investigating the case found that his parents were both alcoholics. His dad had a bad temper and frequently threatened to "beat people to death."
The kid, in his 12 year old state of mind, merely thought that was the way adults settled arguments.

Im sure that makes the parents of the baby that was murdered, feel much better to know he learned it from his enviorment.

WHERE he learned it, matters not. IF the boy, when he becomes a man, is still capable and shows any propensity whatsoever towards violence, keep him locked up.

[Gunny]

Why charge a 12 year old with anything? At that age, kids are a product of their environment. They have learned from their upbringing.
What kind of parents (or lack of such) does the child have? Are his parents abusive? Has he been allowed to watch violent movies or TV shows, or play violent video games?

In one of my grad classes, we studied a couple of cases like this. One in particular struck me.
In England, an 11 year old boy got into a dispute with a neighbor, a 9 year old boy. It progressed into typical childish name calling. The 11 year old went home, got a tire jack handle and savagely beat the other kid to death.
Police investigating the case found that his parents were both alcoholics. His dad had a bad temper and frequently threatened to "beat people to death."
The kid, in his 12 year old state of mind, merely thought that was the way adults settled arguments.

I only partially buy your argument. He should be charged. he committed a heinous and callous enough crime that in some states an adult doing the same would get the death penalty.

You also cannot blame JUST the parents. A society that is "I-me first" in all matters is going to create people such as this.

This is a perfect example of not addressing the problem. The parents are not the ones who committed the crime. If this kid has such little regard for any human life other than his own as he has displayed, then perhaps the state can square him away on the matter if the parents can't.

[Gunny]

Im sure that makes the parents of the baby that was murdered, feel much better to know he learned it from his enviorment.

WHERE he learned it, matters not. IF the boy, when he becomes a man, is still capable and shows any propensity whatsoever towards violence, keep him locked up.

A normally thinking child by age 12 should, with or without parental help, understand that taking another human life simply for inconveniencing him is wrong. If he doesn't, then he has issues that need to be addressed by the law, one way or the other.

[emmett]

Where were the adults anyway? I mean a 17 month old baby was left in the care of a baseball bat wielding 12 year old .....right? I mean...do I have the details straight here.

Maybe there some parents to blame here.

As for the kid, charged as a adult? Hmmmm!!!!!! That's a toughie! I dont know though, when I was 12 I pretty much knew I couldn't beat the shit out of the little kids that aggrevated me. Hell, you can't even hit a 17 month old kid. If you put him in Juvenile til adult age you create another street punk with criminal upbringing. I don't think there really is an answer. You can't exterminate a 12 year old. Glad I don't have to make that decision and I pity those that do.

Then on the other hand......had it been my kid. Hmmmm! First of all my 17 month old would not have beeen in the care of this heathen. Secondly I would be looking at whoever was in charge of the child. They.......or that person......would be in deep shit.