Lifting the Age Limit Juveniles Are Tried as Adults

There have been many instances in Texas courtrooms were criminal acts committed by juveniles have led to those individuals being tried as adults as young as 14 years of age. That is such a young age to be tried as an adult. The law should be changed to raise the minimum age that cases can be transferred to criminal court. As it stands, most juvenile crime cases are currently handled by the juvenile court system. However, in most States cases referred to juvenile court that meet certain criteria may be transferred to criminal court upon the authorization of the juvenile court judge. This is known as the Judicial Waiver. There is also an increasing number of juvenile cases that are automatically excluded from juvenile courts based on certain serious or violent crimes or for repeat offenses. In the State of Texas, the minimum age for certification and transfer of a child to adult court is 14 if the charge is a capital felony, a first-degree felony or an aggravated controlled substance felony. Age 15 is the minimum age for all other felonies.

The juvenile system should be designed to reestablish morals and values to the young, rehabilitate them, and promote second chances at a happy life. Multiple studies however show that trying them as adults only puts them at risk of suffering physical and psychological damage, producing social alienation, and a higher chance of re offending the law. These negative effects are the result of incarcerating the youth with adults. We worry about children being exploited on the outside, but consider what they will be exposed to in prison. All this leads to more chances of teens committing suicide and being sexually abused, something that would be less common in juvenile facilities.

Transferring juveniles to adult court would be more appropriate at a minimum age of 16 for intentional violent offenses that lead to death and 17 for all other felonies. This conclusion is based the view that by age 16 all should know that something like...