Charging Children for Adult Crimes: Patrick Dresslar

When examining juveniles committing "adult crimes," we must evaluate the particular crime and its impact on society.  If the offense is grand theft, for example, and it is committed by a 14 year old kid, I believe that the accused should be tried as a juvenile.  While crimes committed by kids such as theft or arson are definitely dangers to society, they are often times perpetrated by a juvenile who lacks the capacity to foresee the dire ramifications of such an action.  Their reasoning has not fully developed.  These crimes can be committed simply to act out against parents and can be rehabilitated in better ways than prison time.

For an act as heinous as this Broward County incident, a different set of rules need apply.  Murder, attempted in this case, is the worst crime a man can commit.  According the police and prosecutors, Matthew Bent is obviously the ring leader and should be tried as an adult.  He intended to murder Michael Brewer.  At the age of 15, you know that if you set someone afire, your intent is to kill them.  It is premeditated in this case, as time passed from Bent not getting paid to the crime.  The psychosis of such an individual, despite his young age, is one of a killer.  It was meticulously planned and someone with the mind to do such a thing cannot be let back on the streets any time soon, if ever.

By taking each juvenile case on its own unique merits, the judicial system will work in the interest of society.  No case is exactly the same, and thus, I believe a blanket statute that said anyone under the age of 17 will not be tried as an adult could yield catastrophic results.  It would allow a murderer (attempted) such as Bent to roam the streets within months.  That is not a society in which I want to live. 

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