neesaki
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I’m not sure what to think. I do believe a child that age should not be held culpable, to the degree that an older person would be.In English common law, 7 was considered the absolute minimum age of criminal responsibility and it required a positive legal affirmation i.e. prosecutors were required to prove that a minor had formed intent. I was under the impression that this was the guideline used throughout the United States but I was shocked to learn that over half of the states including my own and Virginia do not have an explicit legal minimum age of criminal accountability
Age Boundaries in Juvenile Justice Systems - National Governors Association
This brief focuses on emerging trends in raise-the-age efforts across states, including: (1) raising the maximum age of juvenile court jurisdiction beyond 18, (2) raising the floor, or minimum age, at which a person can be processed through juvenile courts; and (3) amending the transfer laws...www.nga.org
Still, I can’t help thinking of Rhoda, in the movie “The Bad Seed”. Hopefully he’s not that far gone!
I hope this child gets the help he needs. He’s too young to give up on. IMO