DISCUSSION QUESTION

STUDENT REPPLIES

STUDENT REPLY #1 Seterial Thurman

In my opinion juveniles should be treated differently than adults when it comes to our criminal justice system however there will be crimes committed by juveniles where one might say they should be tried as an adult. There will be certain times where a crime is so violent where the prosecution cannot treat the juvenile as such and goes to treat the child as an adult. So, when we decide to charge or try a juvenile as an adult, we must consider the mindset of the juvenile as well as their mental range and past behavior and dealings with the justice system. We also must ask ourselves does the punishment fit the crime and are we going to just punish without some type of rehabilitation because most facilities are overcrowded.

STUDENT REPLY

STUDENT REPLY #2 Kurtis Corbett

In Florida, the courts have created two separate systems for prosecuting criminal cases. The juvenile justice system and adult court. The juvenile justice system was created to provide learning opportunities to juveniles who commit lesser, non-violent crimes with the goal to rehabilitate the offender and reintroduce them into society to serve and function as productive members ultimately. Juveniles should be treated differently than adult offenders for several reasons. Juveniles have their entire life and reputations ahead of them, and a simple mistake could ruin their future if they were handled in adult court. In Florida, juveniles have the option to participate in a diversion program that removes the charges from their record. On the other side, most adults have a better understanding of logic, laws, and consequences. In juvenile court, the defendant does not get a jury trial. The judge or magistrate has the final say in the case. The juvenile court system usually recommends a diversion program for misdemeanor offenses.