Ournation's focus on crime has made a gradual shift away from drugs to what manyperceive to be the major problem facing our criminal justice system today:juvenile crime, especially violent crime....

Crime
Criminal Justice System
Crime
Introduction
Juvenile crime refers to illegal crime by a minor. Most judicial systems provide separate and
specific guidelines and procedures for dealing with juvenile crime. This is mainly for minors
based on the statutory age limit of 18. The punishments are not very severe and rehabilitation
becomes essential. In case of certain violent crimes, it becomes essential that the criminal,
especially when aged 17-18, is not given certain flexibilities and is punished. Just being under a
certain age limit cannot be considered as an excuse for violent crimes and severe punishments
become important. There have been many such cases that have been transferred to the adult court
system in order to ensure appropriate justice and punish in order to curb crimes like drug dealing
and other youth crimes. The various punishments for these levels of crime are flexible and they
can be transferred through a process called judicial waiver (Cauffman, Piquero, Kimonis,
Steinberg & Chassin, 2007).
3 state- or federal-level court cases regarding the transfer of juveniles to the adult court system
The first case is a case where in two boys of 16 years old were charged of felony and were tried
as adults for having committed a crime of carjacking and causing shooting injuries to a 6 year
old. The Wayne court gave a statement saying that this crime is serious and can lead to a life
time imprisonment since it was planned and then executed.
The second case is a case where in a 15 years old boy was charged and accused of having beaten
up a man violently with a group of another eight boys. Such serious crimes require to be treated
as violent crimes since the victim went through severe head injuries. This forms a necessity to
waive the case to the adult criminal courts.
The third case is a case where Graham v. Florida, also depicts the fact that in some of the cases
where in cruelty is high, it becomes essential that there be appropriate levels of judgment and
courts be chosen based on the severity of the crime. Only then it is possible to ensure appropriate
judgment and justice in case of juvenile crime (Steinberg, L, 2008).
Impact of courts and their decisions on criminal justice policy decisions
The courts and their decisions on criminal justice policy decisions are immense. They have led to
transferring of several cases to adult courts and have also helped establish the guidelines and
http://origin.www.supremecourtus.gov/docket/08-7412.htm
Crime
basis for which it is possible to ensure that there be better levels of scrutiny of the case and
punishments based on the intensity of the case and violence involved in the crime. This brings...