I don’t think they should be free. I think that these kids belong in juvenile rehab center where they can get TREATMENT. You cannot really punish a child for a crime like this because there is no way, simply by brain development alone, that a child of 9 or 11 can understand the magnitude of what they’ve done.

What do you think should happen to these kids. Should a mistake, albeit a tremendous and disturbing one, mean that at age 9 or 11 we send them away for life? Do you truly believe that a pre-teen is too old to be taught, to be rehabilitated?

I think that incarceration is giving up on these kids, and frankly, I think that all kids, even ones who make mistakes this severe, this unthinkable, deserve better.

How could you possibly justify the actions of these kids as a mistake? Both acted deliberately to harm someone else. Both took someone’s life. While I agree that a life sentence or incarceration alongside adults is not justified in either case, both crimes are very upsetting and absolutely must be taken seriously in a court of law. Brown is charged as an adult with criminal homicide. In Pennsylvania, there is no criminal homicide charge in juvenile court. He put a blanket over the gun to hide it before he shot her. That sounds pretty calculated to me. What do you suggest the justice system do with him? That level of cruelty at such a young age is not a mistake, and I sure wouldn’t want him in school with my kids. He had threatened his victim and her 7 year old daughter in the weeks before he killed her. That sends chills down my spine.

And I agree that if people are taking on pet causes instead of doing nothing, then that is preferable, but I think there is a legitimate argument to be made for supporting justice system reform for all people it is screwing over – minorities, juveniles, indigents, non-English speakers, etc. – all at once. If enough people spoke up for “all the people who have no voice” maybe more people would take notice of the flaws in the system.

I do think the whole system is broken, but it’s easier to identify the pet causes than to try to take on the whole thing all at one time.

It actually is the law in this situation (in many states, and the law differs by state, so it is very important in talking about each story to identify the state) to determine it on a case by case basis. Courts are not just arbitrarily making exceptions. And, besides, in some cases, citizens can make exceptions. For example, murder is excused in instances when your life is in immediate danger (called self-defense). Maybe not the same to you, but another example of “malleable” laws.

While I don’t disagree with what Katie has said, I do think that in an instance where a 17 year old methodically perpetrates calculated killings of, say, 8 or 9 people over a week, demonstrating adult-levels of premeditation and coldness, an adult trial would be appropriate. And if that “child” were not tried as an adult, people would be up in arms over the injustice.

Our justice system tries to be flexible enough to accommodate both situations, but of course it fails. I wish more people would realize just how broken the whole system is, instead of just complaining about their pet cause, whether it be tort reform, juvenile justice, racial disparities in convictions, or junk science’s role in trials.

Just my two cents.