Andrew Golden was 11 when he shot and killed children at a middle school in Jonesboro, Arkansas. Still ok with putting him to death?

 

Yep, or let him live 70 years? He made a choice and has to pay. I said I was old school.

For those of you saying there should be no age limit then you have to pretty much be ok with executing anyone no matter the age. Most seem to feel that school shootings justify the death penalty. There is a real life example of an 11-year-old committing such a heinous act. I'm sorry, but under no circumstance would I be ok with the state executing an 11-year-old. I can't imagine that people are.

I can't imagine what he did either, I can deal with the true insane child killer not getting the DP. Also wait until he is 18 and then proceed with it. Once a 12 year old boy tried to rape a young girl and killed her. Not sure what happened to him.

18 is ok in most cases IMO but if it were a school shooting or a crime with multiple murders then I think the exception can be made for someone as young as 16.

 

Why would you differentiate between a school shooting/mass murder and a single murder victim?

Yep, or let him live 70 years? He made a choice and has to pay. I said I was old school.

So should all children be treated as adults in a court of law then? Seems like if someone subscribes to your line of thinking there is no need for juvenile court.

Why would you differentiate between a school shooting/mass murder and a single murder victim?

 

Because it's usually a different type of crime. A single murder could be something such as a fight, someone had to much to drink and things got out of hand so on and so forth. A mass murder isn't going to be something that wasn't plotted or that at some point they didn't have the opportunity to stop and think about what they were doing especially out of someone that's in their teens. It's not like they're going to be a highly trained killer that snapped suddenly and killed 4 people before they'd realized what had happened. Even then I doubt people would buy that story.

Ice cold! :lol:

 

In all seriousness though, if the death penalty is a viable option, and a crime fits the criteria for being punishable by death, I see no reason the age of the perp should come into play.

 

I understand that and I kind of lean that way. I just can't help but feel extremely weird about putting a kid to death. I couldn't imagine my kids killing anyone but if they did I equally couldn't imagine them being put to death for it either. If a kid killed my kid I don't think I would want that kid put to death. Put away for the rest of his life? Absolutely. Death penalty? I can't wrap my head around it to make me okay with it.

 

I'd say the only scenario where I'd be okay with a kid getting the death penalty would be a combination of physical assault, sexual assault and murder all together. It would have to be that extreme.

So should all children be treated as adults in a court of law then? Seems like if someone subscribes to your line of thinking there is no need for juvenile court.

Well, the ole saying .."The punishment should fit the crime". We are talking about a young man taking a gun to school and not to show it off. He made a choice.

 

All Children should NOT be treated as adults in a court of Law. There is a huge need for Juvenile Court.

Well, the ole saying .."The punishment should fit the crime". We are talking about a young man taking a gun to school and not to show it off. He made a choice.

 

All Children should NOT be treated as adults in a court of Law. There is a huge need for Juvenile Court.

What need does it serve? If that 11-year-old should pay for his choices by being executed, why not sentence them the same as an adult for other crimes?

What need does it serve? If that 11-year-old should pay for his choices by being executed, why not sentence them the same as an adult for other crimes?

 

I'm not so sure I would be opposed to that for murder charges. I don't care how old you are, if you can tell right from wrong, and intentionally take another person's life, you should at the very least never see the light of day again. :idunno:

If it's not a murder charge, I fully support juvenile courts.

Because it's usually a different type of crime. A single murder could be something such as a fight, someone had to much to drink and things got out of hand so on and so forth. A mass murder isn't going to be something that wasn't plotted or that at some point they didn't have the opportunity to stop and think about what they were doing especially out of someone that's in their teens. It's not like they're going to be a highly trained killer that snapped suddenly and killed 4 people before they'd realized what had happened. Even then I doubt people would buy that story.

 

An 11 yr old commits 1st degree murder. DP?

If it's not a murder charge, I fully support juvenile courts.

So rape would be ok for juvenile court then? What about armed robbery?

So rape would be ok for juvenile court then? What about armed robbery?

 

 

Yep.

Yep.

But wouldn't those same people know what they were doing if they ones who committed murder did? Why not give them the same punishment we give adults?

But wouldn't those same people know what they were doing if they ones who committed murder did? Why not give them the same punishment we give adults?

 

Because I don't find those actions (as awful as they are) as reprehensible as murder.

 

That's not to make light of either action, specifically rape, as I find it especially heinous, but there's nothing that compares to murder IMO.