12 year old boy charged as adult in PA murder case

GuanYin

So apparently in PA, there is no lower limit to the age you can be charged for homicide.

A year old is accused of shooting his father's 26 year old, 8-month pregnant fiance in the head while she slept. He was, apparently, jealous since she moved into the family home and used the hunting rifle he had been given as a present. As she was 8 months pregnant, he faces 2 murder charges.

There are so many things wrong with this. Apart from anything else, giving an emotional 12 year old a gun is a bad idea. But can a child really be tried as an adult? He doesn't face the death penalty but could get life without parole.

I really don't know what I think about this or how it should be dealt with, but surely a child can't be put on trial in an adult court?

Thoughts?

Story Here

CrazyRabbit

From what I've read about this case, the evidence is very circumstantial. Gunpowder residue on his clothes which could have been from when he was hunting, and conflicting statements from a 7yo girl about what she heard on the day.

Let us not pre-judge.

As for trying him as an adult...it makes no sense. All children should get charged for crimes as either children or as adults. You can't pick n' choose depending on the crime.

Stella777

My first knee-jerk reaction was "stupid father, letting an 11 year-old have access to a gun." For the record I have no problem with people owning guns as long as they do so in a responsible, legal way. Taking your son hunting is one thing. Letting him have unsupervised access to a gun is different.

The fact that my initial feeling was that the boy was too young to have unsupervised access to a gun is one clue that I still see him as a child.

My understanding is that in most states, 12 is the age when parents can leave their child home alone without DCFS considering it to be neglect. At the time of the crime, the boy was right on the borderline.

If he were 6, no question would I find the idea of him being tried as an adult completely insane. OTHO, should an 11 year old know that shooting a sleeping woman in the head is wrong? Most definitely. I'm just not sure where the cut off is.

The motive is interesting. Jealousy at the arrival of a new sibling is very childish in itself.

If convicted will he be housed with adult inmates? I hope not.

rightwingdub

He should be tried as a child not as an adult, why is it that in America kids are tried as adults in murder cases.

Nodin

GuanYin wrote: »

I really don't know what I think about this or how it should be dealt with, but surely a child can't be put on trial in an adult court?

Thoughts?

Story Here

They can apply in certain cases. In fairness I must point out that it can happen in Britain as well. The two involved in the Bulger killing come to mind.

Black Swan

In the USA there is a clear lack of consistency in terms of when someone becomes an adult. For example, at age 18 a citizen can sign contracts, marry, and enlist in the military. But in terms of alcohol consumption a citizen is not an adult until age 21. So you can die for your country but you cannot have a beer?

What is even more absurd is this shift towards qualifying younger and younger children as adults. So if an 11 or 12 year old is tried as an adult, and not convicted, can they then sign contracts, marry, enlist in the military, have a beer, and vote in local, state, and national elections?

What a craic!