How would you feel if you just received a phone call saying that your child, cousin, boyfriend or girlfriend, family, or even if your best friend was just arrested for a crime and is now being held for a hearing and being tried as an adult? The judicial system allows a juvenile to be tried as an adult if they are arrested for a crime. This could impact this individual and others around him or her in physical or mental ways. I feel that juveniles should not be tried as an adult due to the harsh consequences that could be done to the person.

When a juvenile commits a crime, it can also affect them as they get older. To get arrested, it can affect them when the time comes for a job.  As J.D Kathleen says, “The juvenile is subject to more severe sentences, including life sentences. (According to the U.S. Supreme Court, though, a juvenile has to be beyond hope of rehabilitation in order to get a life-without-parole sentence.)” And “The juvenile may have to serve time in adult jail or prison, rather than in juvenile detention centers”. Juveniles are subject to a struggle in life if they trial to an adult court. By going to an adult court, that could cause the juvenile to go to a federal prison and that would then go on his or her adult record. If they were to go to trial through the adult court system, he or she would have the right to be appointed by a jury, a right that a juvenile would not have in the juvenile court system. In the article, “When Juveniles are Tried”, it states that “Minors have the right to a jury trial in adult court (most states do not provide a right to a jury in juvenile court)”. This allows a juvenile to have the right to be appointed by a jury if and only if in an adult court system, otherwise it is not allowed in another court system.

If a juvenile gets in trouble for a crime and has to get tried as an adult, that could not only affect him or her as a person, but could also affect others around them. By going through something as strong and powerful as the adult court system, this could hurt the juvenile’s loved ones mentally, scare people around the juvenile due to intimidation, or could possibly have people not like him or her due to their actions. Getting tried as an adult would then mean it would go onto your adult record so it would be harder to get a job. If tried as an adult, a juvenile could potentially lose his or her confidence in pleading not guilty.  “Adolescent decision making is characterized by emotional and cognitive immaturity, intense peer pressure and heightened attitude toward risk. Their inability to consistently make responsible decisions makes them less blameworthy than adults.” says Laurence Steinberg, a psychology professor at Temple University. It is possible that if tried as adults, juveniles could possibly leave a prison as more of a threat to society due to being tried as an adult. Being surrounded by all the adults who are not afraid to do anything, coming up to a teen could be catastrophic. It is a bad idea to send a juvenile to an adult trial and to a prison meant for people who have done potentially worse crimes.

Juveniles should be tried as an adult in certain circumstances; for example, if they committed the crimes such as murder and sexual and/or violent crimes. That is very true in many ways but shouldn’t a teen know right from wrong? Lack of immaturity and lack of discipline could be the reason why they commit these crimes. They may not have had support and proper mentorship growing up.  To be tried as an adult and to live with the lifelong consequences is unrealistic and uncalled for. If you are under the age of 17, you should not be able to be tried as an adult, especially since you are known to be a teenager and not an adult until the age of 18. They should continue to be tried as juveniles until told otherwise. Those who commit these crimes do not know better so they should not have to be punished as an adult.

Juveniles should not be tried as adults do to their lack of maturity, discipline and being incapable of dealing with the emotional and financial results. If they are not of age of an adult, then they should not have to be tried as one. Juveniles go out and do things all while being ignorant of what the consequences will be. They should and they will be tried as juveniles and juveniles only. They will not be tried as an adult if they are under the age of 18. They are too young to have that much pressure on their shoulders at that young of an age. I encourage all my readers to stand as one and have our voice heard for our youth. We must be heard for once and for all.