Guilty! As the gavel hits the sound block, everyone is amazed at the verdict. This teenager is sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. When you read this in newspapers, magazines and even online, what goes through your mind? You may be wondering, “Why is this teenager being judged as an adult, he is just a child?” » Although he is “just a child”, and this is a widely held opinion, it is not mine. Should juveniles who commit violent crimes be tried as adults? Absolutely. Simply because minors are young, they have the ability to distinguish right from wrong. Since these minors committed the crime, they must be held responsible. If a minor acted like an adult, he or she should be treated like an adult. Finally, minors must know that their actions have consequences, regardless of their age. As juveniles commit violent crimes without being held accountable, they can become real criminals and they can be very dangerous. Without a solid foundation of what is right and wrong, these minors will grow up believing that their actions are the norm. This is why minors must be held responsible. They must be taught that they cannot escape their crimes. In 2007, juvenile courts handled approximately 1.7 million delinquency cases. Crime cases include vandalism, shoplifting, theft and murder. These are just some of the crimes that juveniles can commit. This figure has increased by 44% from 1985. If a juvenile grows up believing that crime is acceptable, he will repeat the pattern. Without interrupting the pattern and empowering them, these minors will always have a twisted sense of right and wrong. The sense of what is right and wrong is important and can be learned at any age. Minors learn very young, what... middle of paper... the justice system does that, this minor is just a child!?" But in reality, once the minor has committed a crime violent, he is no longer a child. The minor had the ability to know right from wrong, but he still chose to commit this heinous crime. Choosing to commit this violent crime means that the minor chose to act like. an adult and must be held responsible Once the minor has made the decision to act like an adult, he must be treated like an adult If we do not teach minors that what they have done has consequences. consequences, they will never learn. Arguments can be made that minors should not be treated as adults and, while these arguments have merit, these are not my beliefs. violent crimes must be tried as adults The justice system does not discriminate on the basis of age. Good is good, bad is bad, and evil should be punished equally..