At the time this crime occurred, Pennsylvania had no age limit for trying juveniles as adults.

Case Study:

n 1989, 9-year-old Cameron Kocher shot and killed his 7-year-old neighbor, Jessica Carr, following a quarrel. Jessica had been riding a snowmobile in a field near her Pennsylvania home when Cameron aimed a rifle out a window and fired. The prosecutor decided to try the boy as an adult, and the judge agreed to try the case in criminal court on the grounds that the crime was “deliberate and willful.” At the time this crime occurred, Pennsylvania had no age limit for trying juveniles as adults. The defense attorney asserted that Cameron did not understand his actions when he shot Jessica. Eventually, Cameron pled no contest, and was placed on probation until he turned 21 (New York Times, 1992; Schwartz, 2010).

A focus of the juvenile justice system has historically been on rehabilitation as opposed to punishment of juvenile offenders. Starting in the 1990s, however, juvenile courts became increasingly punitive. In many states, lawmakers have moved away from rehabilitation of juvenile offenders to combining rehabilitation goals with punishment in efforts to protect the public. The result has been a proliferation of laws that allow harsher punishment for juveniles who commit serious crimes. In addition, state legislatures have expanded criteria to determine whether juveniles may be tried in criminal as opposed to juvenile court. When a juvenile is tried as an adult, it is called juvenile waiver or juvenile transfer, as the juvenile is “waived” or “transferred” into adult court.

The psychological community is divided over whether juveniles should ever be tried as adults. Under what circumstances and at what age should a juvenile be tried as an adult? What kind of crime does a juvenile need to commit to merit a criminal trial where he or she is tried as an adult?

Discussion:

Post an explanation of whether or not you believe the juvenile in the case study should have been tried as an adult in court. Include the factors that informed your decision. Justify your response with reference to at least two resources.