My 15 year old niece is being tried as an adult for a fight

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My 15 year old niece has been in so many fights for 2 years. The last fight resulted in serious injury of the victim. I don’t condone fights at all, but this time she was tried as an adult, which made the whole family mad. I and my sister (her mother) spoke to the prosecutor directly insisting she be tried as a juvenile. The prosecutor said she has been tried as a juvenile so many times and is unable to be rehabilitated. I said teens brains are not fully developed so it takes time. At one point he said “adult actions have adult consequences” and I replied “teen actions have teen consequences”. It’s not fair the town doesn’t trust her to be out after 10 PM without an adult but thinks she is mature enough to foresee the consequences of her actions 20+ years later. I know a 17 year old kid who is being tried as a juvenile for shoplifting. This isn’t his first time shoplifting and he is older than my niece. He is being tried as a juvenile. What? Shoplifting isn’t as bad as fighting?

I was not aware that family members of the accused were able to set the parameters of the prosecution. Learn something new every day.

You did not know rich people hire lawyers that directly call the prosecutor and work a deal.

Really?

That’s what ALL criminal defense lawyers do, including public defenders. “Calling the prosecutor” directly and “working out a deal” isn’t some shady rich-person thing...it is how virtually all criminal cases are resolved.

[Anonymous]

So not just getting in “so many fights” over 2 years, but fights that necessitate legal action? The “child” has a very serious problem that your family has grossly ignored and thus enabled for far too long. Society can’t safely wait around for her brain to “form” so consequences must be given.

[Anonymous]

Your niece needs to be locked up if she's assaulting people. Sounds to me like she's had plenty of warnings.

[Anonymous]

You should be relieved the victim was not killed by your neice's hands. It could have been a murder charge. I say she is lucky. Also, the severity of the injury likely gave the prosecutor good cause for the adult charges.

[Anonymous]

You should let someone kick your nieces ass, everyone is tough until...

[Anonymous]

Shoplifting and repeatedly violently beating the crap out of people is two different things. Your niece needs jail time.

[Anonymous]

I'm on your side OP. I think it's absurd to try non-adults as adults. It makes no sense whatsoever. What's the point of having a different system for juveniles, then? If there's a legitimate reason to try juveniles differently, then it trying them as adults should NEVER be an option. It's not about how bad the crime is, but about the age of the person. There should be a range of consequences appropriate to the seriousness of the crime.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My 15 year old niece has been in so many fights for 2 years. The last fight resulted in serious injury of the victim. I don’t condone fights at all, but this time she was tried as an adult, which made the whole family mad. I and my sister (her mother) spoke to the prosecutor directly insisting she be tried as a juvenile. The prosecutor said she has been tried as a juvenile so many times and is unable to be rehabilitated. I said teens brains are not fully developed so it takes time. At one point he said “adult actions have adult consequences” and I replied “teen actions have teen consequences”. It’s not fair the town doesn’t trust her to be out after 10 PM without an adult but thinks she is mature enough to foresee the consequences of her actions 20+ years later. I know a 17 year old kid who is being tried as a juvenile for shoplifting. This isn’t his first time shoplifting and he is older than my niece. He is being tried as a juvenile. What? Shoplifting isn’t as bad as fighting?

I was not aware that family members of the accused were able to set the parameters of the prosecution. Learn something new every day.

OP is taking her cues from the Trumps.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My 15 year old niece has been in so many fights for 2 years. The last fight resulted in serious injury of the victim. I don’t condone fights at all, but this time she was tried as an adult, which made the whole family mad. I and my sister (her mother) spoke to the prosecutor directly insisting she be tried as a juvenile. The prosecutor said she has been tried as a juvenile so many times and is unable to be rehabilitated. I said teens brains are not fully developed so it takes time. At one point he said “adult actions have adult consequences” and I replied “teen actions have teen consequences”. It’s not fair the town doesn’t trust her to be out after 10 PM without an adult but thinks she is mature enough to foresee the consequences of her actions 20+ years later. I know a 17 year old kid who is being tried as a juvenile for shoplifting. This isn’t his first time shoplifting and he is older than my niece. He is being tried as a juvenile. What? Shoplifting isn’t as bad as fighting?

I was not aware that family members of the accused were able to set the parameters of the prosecution. Learn something new every day.

You did not know rich people hire lawyers that directly call the prosecutor and work a deal.

Really?

And your niece is entitled to an attorney (and if you cannot afford one, one will be appointed, etc., etc.). So not just reach people can plea bargain. Once your niece is represented, ethically the prosecutor has to deal with her lawyer, not the family.

And NO— not even an attorney, or a “rich person’s attorney” gets to choose whether to try as an adult. And there is no reason to try as a juvenile if there are multiple offenses and her behavior is getting worse. She is a danger to the community, and should be treated as such. And the prosecutor is right— the juvenile system ISN’T WORKING FORHER. Multiple fights and serious injuries mean your niece is not the victim. Quit acting like she was.

And talk to her lawyer.

But mostly, get her help!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm on your side OP. I think it's absurd to try non-adults as adults. It makes no sense whatsoever. What's the point of having a different system for juveniles, then? If there's a legitimate reason to try juveniles differently, then it trying them as adults should NEVER be an option. It's not about how bad the crime is, but about the age of the person. There should be a range of consequences appropriate to the seriousness of the crime.

NP. I don't think many (any?) of the PPs disagree with your last point. It's just that almost all of us happen to think that constantly getting into physical fights is just not normal, that going through the juvenile system many times with no effect is clear evidence that the consequences have NOT been "appropriate" thus far, and that causing physical injury to others is just about as serious a crime as you can get.

Oh, and OP and her family all sound entitled and obnoxious. The only thing "NOT FAIR" about the situation is that her niece is a violent menace and yet her family continues to allow her - "oh but she's just a mere child who has no idea about consequences!" - to be left out of direct responsible adult supervision long enough to physically hurt someone. Appalling.

[Anonymous]

OP is a troll.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm on your side OP. I think it's absurd to try non-adults as adults. It makes no sense whatsoever. What's the point of having a different system for juveniles, then? If there's a legitimate reason to try juveniles differently, then it trying them as adults should NEVER be an option. It's not about how bad the crime is, but about the age of the person. There should be a range of consequences appropriate to the seriousness of the crime.

The young father who managed a restaurant in DC was shot dead by a teenaged criminal who'd been released for crimes multiple times with the hope that he'd be rehabilitated. Guess what? That young dad is as dead as if an adult had shot him. His infant daughter will never know her dad. If you rob and kill someone, you need to be tried as an adult. Period.

[Anonymous]

You are both right, OP.

Teen brains ARE different from adult brains and teens do not process impulsivity and measure consequences in the same way as adults.

However, what would you have the prosecutor do? He is within his rights. From an outside perspective and without getting into mental health issues, he is doing what is right to protect the public. This is a young person who has had many second chances, and who has now badly injured someone.

The data shows that ADHD (ie, impulse control issues) and other mental health issues are extremely frequent in criminals. Mental health is not yet understood and not yet taken into adequate account by courts. There is no use putting people in prison, who when released will do exactly what put them there in the first place, because they have never been educated about their issues and cannot control themselves correctly without medication!

Anyway, getting off the soap box. Look into getting your niece evaluated by a psychologist, not to have her sentence reduced, but so she can learn self-control and do something with her life after paying her debt to society.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm on your side OP. I think it's absurd to try non-adults as adults. It makes no sense whatsoever. What's the point of having a different system for juveniles, then? If there's a legitimate reason to try juveniles differently, then it trying them as adults should NEVER be an option. It's not about how bad the crime is, but about the age of the person. There should be a range of consequences appropriate to the seriousness of the crime.

If someone knifed your kid and your kid ended up in a wheelchair and the assailant was a month from his 18th bday, would you be okay if he was released at 21?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
You are both right, OP.

Teen brains ARE different from adult brains and teens do not process impulsivity and measure consequences in the same way as adults.

However, what would you have the prosecutor do? He is within his rights. From an outside perspective and without getting into mental health issues, he is doing what is right to protect the public. This is a young person who has had many second chances, and who has now badly injured someone.

The data shows that ADHD (ie, impulse control issues) and other mental health issues are extremely frequent in criminals. Mental health is not yet understood and not yet taken into adequate account by courts. There is no use putting people in prison, who when released will do exactly what put them there in the first place, because they have never been educated about their issues and cannot control themselves correctly without medication!

Anyway, getting off the soap box. Look into getting your niece evaluated by a psychologist, not to have her sentence reduced, but so she can learn self-control and do something with her life after paying her debt to society.

Most teens do not get into a physical fight even once, let alone many times, they don't hurt other people and they aren't in and out of the juvenile justice system constantly. If OP cared so much for her niece then she should have been adequately supervising the girl when clearly her parents were unable and/or had refused to do so.

I'd be fine with not ever treating teens as adults, and keeping them out of prison, no matter what they did, but then the parents would need to do that time for them. SOMEONE needs to be responsible and held criminally liable for a minor's behavior. If not the child/teen then it must be the adult who should have been supervising them.