>>I realize that kids grow up faster than they used to - but I'm not sure if it's the right decision to try to give a 12 year old a life sentence.
>>
>>http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-504083_162-57337428-504083/12-year-old-murder-suspect-to-be-charged-as-adult-plea-deal-unlikely/
>>
>>Very troubling story - glad I'm not the judge (or on the jury) in that case...geeze.
>
>Obviously what he did is despicable. But trying a 12 year old as an adult, meaning he can be sentenced to life in prison, contradicts the original principle that minors are not fully capable of understanding the consequences of their actions. There is a reason precedent has been established for a long time that minors are handled differently from adults in the judicial system. Oddly enough, some who say they are for judicial restraint and observance of precedents seem to be all for precedent breaking judges depending on what the issue is.

"...The EJI (Equal Justice Initiative) has documented 73 cases where children 14 years of age or younger have been condemned to death in prison. Almost all of these kids currently lack legal representation and in most of these cases the propriety and constitutionality of their extreme sentences has never been reviewed...."

You can find all kinds of info here http://www.eji.org/eji/childrenprison/deathinprison

These are children - if you ask me it's cruel and unusual punishment that violates the Eighth Amendment.