"Juveniles Tried as adults?"
Target:
CONGRESS, AND STATE REPRESENATIVES
Sponsored by:
EJI LAUNCHES NATIONAL CAMPAIGN CHALLENGING DEATH IN PRISON SENTENCES IMPOSED ON 13- AND 14-YEAR-OLD CHILDREN
November 28, 2007
A new study by EJI has documented 73 cases where 13- and 14-year-old children in the United States have been tried as adults and sentenced to life imprisonment without the possibility of parole. EJI believes that sentencing young children to imprisonment until death violates international law and the U.S. Constitution, and has taken on the cases of a dozen of these 13- and 14-year-olds to challenge their sentences. The misguided practice of sentencing young kids to die in prison and the traumatic stories of condemned children are documented in EJI%u2019s report, Cruel and Unusual: Sentencing 13- and 14-Year-Old Children to Die in Prison.
EJI LAUNCHES NATIONAL CAMPAIGN CHALLENGING DEATH IN PRISON SENTENCES IMPOSED ON 13- AND 14-YEAR-OLD CHILDREN
November 28, 2007
A new study by EJI has documented 73 cases where 13- and 14-year-old children in the United States have been tried as adults and sentenced to life imprisonment without the possibility of parole. EJI believes that sentencing young children to imprisonment until death violates international law and the U.S. Constitution, and has taken on the cases of a dozen of these 13- and 14-year-olds to challenge their sentences. The misguided practice of sentencing young kids to die in prison and the traumatic stories of condemned children are documented in EJI%u2019s report, Cruel and Unusual: Sentencing 13- and 14-Year-Old Children to Die in Prison.
We signed the ""Juveniles Tried as adults?"" petition!
# 332:
5:20 pm PDT, Oct 27,
Michelle Hackney, Colorado
# 331:
10:40 am PDT, Sep 30,
Noemi Peciado, California
My brother was tried as an adult a few months after turning 14. Let me tell you I know first hand that he didn't relize the degree of his actions, I didn't understand them at the time and I am his older sister.
My brother was tried as an adult a few months after turning 14. Let me tell you I know first hand that he didn't relize the degree of his actions, I didn't understand them at the time and I am his older sister.
# 330:
4:10 pm PDT, Sep 28,
Michael Marshall, Colorado
# 329:
11:23 am PDT, Sep 28,
Lawrence Emmons, West Virginia
# 328:
11:13 am PDT, Sep 28,
Benjamin Phillips, Colorado
# 327:
9:40 am PDT, Sep 27,
Elizabeth Nolette, New Hampshire
# 326:
8:36 am PDT, Sep 27,
Stephanie Marshall, Colorado
# 325:
11:13 am PDT, Sep 26,
Catherine Hill, Nevada
# 324:
11:53 pm PDT, Sep 25,
Earleen Austin, California
When a jUvenile is charged as an adult,the parents lose all rights, leaving your child at the mercy of the courts,state paid attorneys and in California the District Attorney runs both. I know as a mother of a young girl charged as an adult.It has been 7 years of hell and even in juvenile hall We as parents had no say so in legal matters.Kids are not adults and there is something terribly wrong when older male co-defendants are given lighter sentences for their crimes by helping the Da win the case on the juvenile too. At 16 she was not mature enough to face questiong by dectives alone, scared and isolated from parents or legal counsil.
When a jUvenile is charged as an adult,the parents lose all rights, leaving your child at the mercy of the courts,state paid attorneys and in California the District Attorney runs both. I know as a mother of a young girl charged as an adult.It has been 7 years of hell and even in juvenile hall We as parents had no say so in legal matters.Kids are not adults and there is something terribly wrong when older male co-defendants are given lighter sentences for their crimes by helping the Da win the case on the juvenile too. At 16 she was not mature enough to face questiong by dectives alone, scared and isolated from parents or legal counsil.
# 323:
9:01 pm PDT, Sep 20,
E Hidalgo, California
# 322:
5:53 am PDT, Sep 16,
Name not displayed, New Mexico
I will never understand or ever - ever agree to children being tried as adults!!!!!!!!!
I will never understand or ever - ever agree to children being tried as adults!!!!!!!!!
# 321:
11:32 am PDT, Sep 15,
Jessica Sanders, New Mexico
Hello everyone my name is Jessica Sanders I have worked asa paralegal for defense Attorney and now I work as a Forensic scientist. I feel we have let these children down when we let the system see them as adults. i remember when I was that age and the mistake that I made do to the fact not understanding what I was doing and who I was hurting. We need to keep fighting for this children
Hello everyone my name is Jessica Sanders I have worked asa paralegal for defense Attorney and now I work as a Forensic scientist. I feel we have let these children down when we let the system see them as adults. i remember when I was that age and the mistake that I made do to the fact not understanding what I was doing and who I was hurting. We need to keep fighting for this children
# 320:
2:12 pm PDT, Aug 8,
Christine Reddick, Utah
I am working on a research paper, which is suppose to be in an argument form - that I am writing and happened to come across this petition…. It is getting really hard to make an argument when so many people are against juveniles being tried as adults. I find myself now pondering “if so many of us feel this is wrong, and then what the hell is wrong with our judicial system?” I do feel that juveniles breaking the law should have consequences to fit their crimes, but throwing them into the adult system “is not” the answer. There are so many levels these children should be worked with. My case: I am a mother of a 15 year old (going on 16). I took him to Ohio to meet his father, who left us when I was three months pregnant. I felt if I let the two of them spend time together, my son would get a sense of who he is. A week after I left, my son got into trouble… my ex-husband (his father) has turned his back on him and now the prosecutor’s office is wanting to charge my son as an adult. My son has been through hell and back – my second husband only mentally abused my son, but physically, and sexually. He has been in a treatment program and I told his father not to let him do certain things or be left alone….. I am scared for my son, he has been tested mentally and found borderline – he is going on 16, but he acts more like an 11 or 12 year old….I feel that if our system tries a juvenile as an adult – you might as well through away the key – everything I have read brings nothing positive to the table. Good luck to anyone else who is going through something similar….
I am working on a research paper, which is suppose to be in an argument form - that I am writing and happened to come across this petition…. It is getting really hard to make an argument when so many people are against juveniles being tried as adults. I find myself now pondering “if so many of us feel this is wrong, and then what the hell is wrong with our judicial system?” I do feel that juveniles breaking the law should have consequences to fit their crimes, but throwing them into the adult system “is not” the answer. There are so many levels these children should be worked with. My case: I am a mother of a 15 year old (going on 16). I took him to Ohio to meet his father, who left us when I was three months pregnant. I felt if I let the two of them spend time together, my son would get a sense of who he is. A week after I left, my son got into trouble… my ex-husband (his father) has turned his back on him and now the prosecutor’s office is wanting to charge my son as an adult. My son has been through hell and back – my second husband only mentally abused my son, but physically, and sexually. He has been in a treatment program and I told his father not to let him do certain things or be left alone….. I am scared for my son, he has been tested mentally and found borderline – he is going on 16, but he acts more like an 11 or 12 year old….I feel that if our system tries a juvenile as an adult – you might as well through away the key – everything I have read brings nothing positive to the table. Good luck to anyone else who is going through something similar….
# 319:
1:07 am PDT, Aug 7,
Cynthia Strickland, Alaska
# 318:
4:21 pm PDT, Jul 12,
Shaunna Tucker, Idaho
Please also see Zachary Neagle Petition site on Care2. He's in the same situation as many of these children charged as adults. It's immoral & in-humane! It's time the US changed it archaic laws!
Please also see Zachary Neagle Petition site on Care2. He's in the same situation as many of these children charged as adults. It's immoral & in-humane! It's time the US changed it archaic laws!
# 317:
12:47 pm PDT, Jul 4,
Ken Mia, Wisconsin
# 316:
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8:54 pm PDT, Jul 3,
Jennifer Hall, Tennessee
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# 315:
9:43 am PDT, Jul 2,
Carina Eriksson, Sweden
# 314:
9:52 pm PDT, Jun 14,
Angela Denise Kendall/Brown, Kansas
YEAH I WOULD BE MORE THEN GLAD TO ADD MY OWN PERSONAL LETTER HERE..... SEE I HAVE A HUSBAND WHO IS INCARCERATED IN KANSAS ON A LIFE SENTENCE PLUS A 3=TO-10 YEAR SENTENCE ON TOP OF THAT ..HE HAS SERVED 17 YEARS OF HIS SENTENCE SO FAR AND HE IS ONLY 34 YEARS OLD FOR HE WAS ONLY 16 YEARS OLD WHEN CONVICTED OF THE CRIME AND CHARGED AS AN ADULT .. SEE MY PROBLEM IS THAT THE OTHER INVOLVED IN THE CASE IS FREE AND CLEAR AND THEY INICIATED IT ALL TO START. AND THAT TODAY PEPLE GET OF WITH A WHOLE HELL OF A LOT LESS OF A SENTENCE HOW CAN AMERICA CALL IT'S LEGAL SYSTEM FAIR OR JUSTICE..........
YEAH I WOULD BE MORE THEN GLAD TO ADD MY OWN PERSONAL LETTER HERE..... SEE I HAVE A HUSBAND WHO IS INCARCERATED IN KANSAS ON A LIFE SENTENCE PLUS A 3=TO-10 YEAR SENTENCE ON TOP OF THAT ..HE HAS SERVED 17 YEARS OF HIS SENTENCE SO FAR AND HE IS ONLY 34 YEARS OLD FOR HE WAS ONLY 16 YEARS OLD WHEN CONVICTED OF THE CRIME AND CHARGED AS AN ADULT .. SEE MY PROBLEM IS THAT THE OTHER INVOLVED IN THE CASE IS FREE AND CLEAR AND THEY INICIATED IT ALL TO START. AND THAT TODAY PEPLE GET OF WITH A WHOLE HELL OF A LOT LESS OF A SENTENCE HOW CAN AMERICA CALL IT'S LEGAL SYSTEM FAIR OR JUSTICE..........
# 313:
7:10 am PDT, Jun 5,
Nancy Beas, Indiana
We all learn from our mistakes. Children make mistakes...some worse than others. They should not have to pay for their mistakes by going to prison. People are not rehabilitated in prison! As a nation, are judged by how we treat our young and elderly. I'm not proud we send anyone under 18 to adult court or adult prison.
We all learn from our mistakes. Children make mistakes...some worse than others. They should not have to pay for their mistakes by going to prison. People are not rehabilitated in prison! As a nation, are judged by how we treat our young and elderly. I'm not proud we send anyone under 18 to adult court or adult prison.
# 312:
11:31 am PDT, May 8,
Cassandra C, California
Does America not care about our children? Child rapists get slaps on the wrists while the children get LWOP? This has gotta stop.
Does America not care about our children? Child rapists get slaps on the wrists while the children get LWOP? This has gotta stop.
# 311:
7:15 am PDT, Mar 12,
Kionna Turner, Missouri
I oppose sentencing children like adults because prison is not rehabilitation!! It is only a form of modern day slavery!!If you ask any person in prison or that has been to prison and they will agree with me..
I oppose sentencing children like adults because prison is not rehabilitation!! It is only a form of modern day slavery!!If you ask any person in prison or that has been to prison and they will agree with me..
# 310:
7:45 pm PDT, Mar 10,
Cheryle Abul-Husn, Indiana
Please do something to help our children. The united States is proud to call themselves peace keepers. We want to save the rest of the world and we throw away our own children. What does that say about us as a country?
Please do something to help our children. The united States is proud to call themselves peace keepers. We want to save the rest of the world and we throw away our own children. What does that say about us as a country?
# 309:
5:48 am PDT, Mar 8,
Judith Stawarz, Pennsylvania
# 308:
10:55 am PST, Feb 28,
Laurie Brewer, Ohio
# 307:
1:21 am PST, Feb 25,
Margaret Blakemore, Tennessee
Children do not hink as adults, although they beleive they are adults and can think as adults the truth is they are still learning and growing. If the US wants to place a child in prision with other criminals that are adults, then the US should allow the child to drink alcohol, smoke cigarettes, drive cars, since they can think and conduct themselves as adults. I think it's an outrage and the child will never rehabilate themselves.
Children do not hink as adults, although they beleive they are adults and can think as adults the truth is they are still learning and growing. If the US wants to place a child in prision with other criminals that are adults, then the US should allow the child to drink alcohol, smoke cigarettes, drive cars, since they can think and conduct themselves as adults. I think it's an outrage and the child will never rehabilate themselves.
# 306:
6:48 pm PST, Feb 18,
Ani L. Schwartz, New Mexico
# 305:
1:00 pm PST, Feb 17,
Name not displayed, California
my son was tried as an adult at the age of 16. he has been in prison for eight years and still has five more years to go. he will be 31 when he gets out. he committed an armed robbery and was involved in a melee in juvenile hall. i know that adult murderers have received a shorter time sentence than my son. it is preposterous to me that our judicial system is sending our youth to prisons and throwing away the key when studies have shown that their brains aren't even fully developed yet. the law needs to be changed! we need to protect our youth! it is all about pure punishment and no rehabilitation.....
my son was tried as an adult at the age of 16. he has been in prison for eight years and still has five more years to go. he will be 31 when he gets out. he committed an armed robbery and was involved in a melee in juvenile hall. i know that adult murderers have received a shorter time sentence than my son. it is preposterous to me that our judicial system is sending our youth to prisons and throwing away the key when studies have shown that their brains aren't even fully developed yet. the law needs to be changed! we need to protect our youth! it is all about pure punishment and no rehabilitation.....
# 304:
7:17 am PST, Feb 17,
Name not displayed, Iowa
# 303:
9:35 am PST, Feb 6,
Sabrina Clark, Michigan
# 302:
4:35 pm PST, Jan 28,
Name not displayed, California
# 301:
4:27 pm PST, Nov 29,
Name not displayed, California
I currently am working on a college persuasive speech and our group has taken on the task of presenting why children should not be tired as adults.
I currently am working on a college persuasive speech and our group has taken on the task of presenting why children should not be tired as adults.
