Strip search case of 13 year old girl reaches supreme court

[Peikko 1,575]

So what? Being a child is not a moving target nor is it a 'technicality'. You either are, and are treated like one, or you are not, and are not treated like one. Moving the goal posts is quite simply wrong - but of course you have got all involved in emotions so I don't think we will get any further.

[sj5 4]

It's just so wrong to pulled her underwear. They shouldn't treat a 13 years old like this. Wrong wrong wrong

[_Simpson_ 250]

So what? Being a child is not a moving target nor is it a 'technicality'. You either are, and are treated like one, or you are not, and are not treated like one. Moving the goal posts is quite simply wrong - but of course you have got all involved in emotions so I don't think we will get any further.

I said getting off on a technicality, because he/she was 17 not 18 but had the same cruel intent. So if its about the message were sending then what message are we sending? When it comes to crime we dont mess around regardless of your age. Moving your goal posts is wrong but this is no game and nobody wins when there are victims. Further more this kind of case by case scenario happens in a lot of our trials. If a judge finds that the criminal has history then a harsher punishment will be handed down.

My emotions are not involved in this, my example was to show you why we as a society we have chose to try some children as adults. Why we need to consider more things than just age. Wheres the justice of giving someone a easy out because that hadn't reached that magical number 18.

[Peikko 1,575]

Ah, and you think that there is a really good method of quantifying a child's 'adultness' do you? The age limit is not a technicality, it's a rule that should always be the same, no matter what.

You do realize that only in the US do courts decide after the fact is the child is actually an adult? Seems that even 8 year olds can be considered adults here.

[mkg265 2]

As one of the youngest VJ USC members I must tell this is an OLD issue. I went to school during the start of the zero tolernce stage and it SUCKED. A student in my school was expelled for a two pack of Advil. I myself. 4.0 student in 5 AP classes, was questioned and search for pot. I didn't sue the school. I graduated and left the state. I was 16 at the time of search and no one touched my underwear.

[Peikko 1,575]

Would you have been a little put out if they had? This case isn't made up. the events are not in dispute, what is is whether the school had a right to do this.

[mkg265 2]

Would you have been a little put out if they had? This case isn't made up. the events are not in dispute, what is is whether the school had a right to do this.

I don't know. Public school is a right in the United States. I had a friend given INS (in school suspention) for wearing an orange shirt on Senior shirt day. I aggred and signed every paper in front of me so that I could leave and go to a good college. A student is so powerless in all American public schools. I never wanted to make waves. I wanted a good GPA (I got a 4.0), a good SAT score, and AP credit.

[_Simpson_ 250]

Ah, and you think that there is a really good method of quantifying a child's 'adultness' do you? The age limit is not a technicality, it's a rule that should always be the same, no matter what.

You do realize that only in the US do courts decide after the fact is the child is actually an adult? Seems that even 8 year olds can be considered adults here.

Yes I do, examine awarness, intent, understanding......

There is no rule that says we cant try children as adults.

I think 8 is extreme, what kind of understanding does a 8 year old have about life.

[Peikko 1,575]

Probably a good job I didn't go to school in the US then Strip searching is just several steps to far down the contravention of human rights though. It's just wrong, period.

[Peikko 1,575]

Ah, and you think that there is a really good method of quantifying a child's 'adultness' do you? The age limit is not a technicality, it's a rule that should always be the same, no matter what.

You do realize that only in the US do courts decide after the fact is the child is actually an adult? Seems that even 8 year olds can be considered adults here.

Yes I do, examine awarness, intent, understanding......

There is no rule that says we cant try children as adults.

I think 8 is extreme, what kind of understanding does a 8 year old have about life.

It's not an exact science, if it was I would be more ambivalent on this question, but it is not. We have age limits, and they are not meant to be guidelines. That's not how this works. What is even more bizarre and wrong in my opinion, is that this idea that children can be tried as adults is only used when the crime is sensational. How does that make any sense?

There should be a rule against trying children as adults, period but as it stands, it seems any age can be considered 'adult' if the crime fits whatever sensationalist criteria is being used.

[Danno 1,228]

I think one of the biggest reason we see this "Charged as an adult" happening is because the parameters of the Juvenile system are so weak, a serious criminal can get off with very little punishment.

Also we might note, Seventeen yr olds can serve in the military and if they are old enough to do that they "might" be old enough to answer for a crime.

In most cases these kids have a long history of offenses and to turn them back on the street will certainly result in more innocent people killed or seriously hurt.

Sorry, you can hang on to your Euro Principles if you like,

but the "reality of the situation" moves the bar a bit higher (in my view).

If we had a real "Juvenile Crime" system, we might have a system we both could live with.