Today, minors are using their age as a shield against capital punishment. I feel 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 doesn't make it a deterrent. There should not be an age limit in all capital offenses for those who could face the death penalty and knew what he or she was doing was wrong, and a crime. Age limits do not predict when one is able to handle responsibilities. What they do is assume one should be able to take on new responsibilities, laws, and issues. One is not suddenly capable of driving at sixteen, and not immediately given the knowledge of the voting system at eighteen. How does a specific age predict when a person knows right from wrong? By not having a minimum age for juvenile offenders in capital offenses, juvenile's special rights and immunities would be taken away. These rights for juveniles exist so justice courts can provide measures of guidance and rehabilitation for the youth by using mentors in societ

New York: Praeger Publishers, 1991.

The youth, not only in America, but in the world are growing up faster and are exposed to more than their parents were at their age. As these youth are growing up faster they are also capable at earlier ages of committing dreadful crimes. Just because these so-called children are still young doesn't mean that we should treat them less severe because of their age. They have committed the same disturbing crimes, with same shocking lack of remorse as any adult in the same situation would have felt. These troubled youth need a deterrent from a life of crime. If juveniles knew they couldn't get away with living a life of crime, and they would be punished for capital crimes just as adults are, fewer juveniles would commit crimes at younger ages. If fewer juveniles committed crimes at younger ages then they would be less likely to commit crimes as an adult because they didn't when they were younger. If a youth was discouraged from a life of crime because they knew the harshness of the penalties they wouldn't perform crimes. Often today police officers don't treat juvenile crimes the same way as they treat adult crimes because laws and penalties aren't as serious for juveniles. The officer may feel that he or she is wasting their time on juvenile cases and should spend more time on adult cases. These juveniles are allowed back on the streets to perform more crimes, which are usually more serious than the crimes they were let off for. Everyone knows that if one gets away with something once he or she will do it again. That crime may not seem as menacing to the juvenile and he or she will do something more serious the second, or even the third and forth times. Who knows how far a youth may go and in how much trouble the youth may cause in the end. He or she may even end up being murderers or rapists, who knows?

Http://www.sltrib.com/1999/sep/09/8/999/utah/25001.htm. (4 Apr. 2000).

San Diego: Greenhaven Press, 1991.

Some common words found in the essay are:
Bloods Cripps, Death Penalty, English Common, Judiciary System, Lake Tahoe, death penalty, Thompson Oklahoma, Prejean Blackburn, Roach Martin, Criminal Court, Sharks Jets, minimum age, criminal courts, criminal court, capital offenses, capital crimes, common law, commit crimes, age limit, waived criminal court, life crime, english common law, youth considered adult, cruel unusual punishment, 4 apr 2000,
Approximate Word count = 2269
Approximate Pages = 9 (250 words per page double spaced)