MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Juvenile Court is the place where issues involving young people are decided, but sometimes kids under 18 years of age don’t have their legal cases end at Juvenile Court.
There have been times that children land in adult court charged with very adult crimes.
“We take it very seriously. We have a lot to balance. We have to balance the case at hand, but we also have to balance public safety,” said Shelby County District Attorney Amy Weirich.
She said in any case involving a juvenile there are certain things that must be considered.
“The facts of the case before us and then that offender’s past history. Is this their first time to have a run-in the with the law? Have they been through the Juvenile Court system in and out, in and out and we are kinda out of options other than ask that they be treated as an adult?” said Weirich.
She said the D.A. can only “request” a transfer to adult court.
“It’s up to a Juvenile Court Judge to make that decision and often times we ask for transfers and are denied,” said Weirich.
Tennessee State Representative G.A. Hardaway takes issue with moving juveniles to the adult court system when they haven’t even fully developed.
“The development of a child brain into an adult does not occur until 25 years or so. So why are we subjecting a 14-year-old to the same standards that we would as an adult? It’s wrong,” said Hardaway.
He wants to make sure 14-year-old Antonio Evans’ case is handled appropriately.
Evans has been charged with first degree murder for killing a 6-year-old foster child.
Hardaway says the court shouldn’t overlook the state’s shortfall in providing Evans, who may have at one time been in foster care, the help he needed.
“We need to do a better job. We failed and now we want to heap all the responsibility on the child and it’s ours,” says Hardaway.
Still a lot of debate on this issue.
Things to be battled out as the court must once again make one of these tough decisions.
