¶ … juvenile offender case you selected from news reports in your own community. Synthesize how your state's (or locale's) juvenile laws and codes would apply to your selected case. Be specific and cite your state's (or locale's) relevant laws and codes. Juvenile justice in Indiana: Trying juveniles as adults

One of the most controversial issues in juvenile justice is the question of when a juvenile can and should be tried as an adult. In the state of Indiana, children as young as age ten can be tried in adult court. "That's younger than many states, but then some states have no age limit" (King 2012). One of the most controversial, recent examples of this phenomenon in Indiana is the case of Paul Henry Gingerich, who was convicted of murder when he was only twelve years old. Paul "pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit murder after...

Each boy received 25 years, with the possibility that, for good behavior, they could get out in about half that time. They would still be young men, but young men who had grown up in prison" (King 2012). When Paul was convicted, he had no prior criminal record and a psychiatrist who evaluated the boy said that he "lacked a basic understanding of the court proceedings, and wasn't competent to stand trial as an adult" (King 2012).
The question of where to draw the line regarding juveniles convicted of crimes such as murder is not clear-cut. Although most people would state that trying a seventeen-year-old accused of such a crime in adult court is acceptable, what about a sixteen-year-old? A fifteen-year-old? Given the limits on certain rights (such as the right to vote, drive, or drink),…