Juvenile Court V. Adult Court

Discussion

The juvenile courts were established to cater to the needs of the young generation, not older than 18 years, which requires immediate and accurate follow-ups with probation officers. In the case of Jason, it is clear that a forensic psychologist requires various aspects to transfer a patient to the adult court. For instance, the likely response to treatment, the level of sophistication maturity, and the potential risk of dangerousness to the community are important aspects of considering before making the decision. In this, the psychologists’ code of conduct enables them to act ethically depending on the extent of the behavior. Besides, the juveniles contract the bad behavior from the peers, meaning that they are not clever enough to take care of themselves. It is apparent that the young generation requires the proper steps while learning to quit their behavior through the juvenile courts. An analysis of the decisions that could be made by the forensic psychologist will lead to an understanding of the concept as well as a proper stance between the adult courts or the juvenile courts.

Before the transfer to the adult court, a forensic psychologist must consider aspects such as the likely response to treatment, the level of sophistication maturity, and the potential risk of dangerousness to the community. It is apparent that the victim is an adolescent who is exposed to the various areas that can be linked with mental illness. The prior arrests account for the victim point that the psychologist should connect the vulnerability of peer pressure to the patient. The degree of risk assessment and risk taking, as well as the impulsivity also, indicates that the psychologist must include legal arguments to punish according to the seriousness of the case.

Some methods such as the fact that Jason had been involved in a long history of other related crimes also mandate him to go the adult court. Besides, the young man has attained the appropriate age suitable for apprehending children, that is, 17-18. The impact of the transfer to the juvenile court would also be a significant method to consider while administering the transfer to the adult court. The period in which the defendant has served in jails is another method used to measure the effectiveness of the situation.

If a forensic psychologist lacks the knowledge of evaluating a case based on the given information, he is required to seek aid from another specialist in the same field. In this, it is clear that contacting a free consultation from a local attorney would be an additional way of obtaining aid through simple means. Besides, it is also important to discuss how the victim would resist or avoid the conviction record, having committed other relevant claims in the past.

Some juveniles are transferred to the adult courts when the crimes that they commit are frightening or exceed the extent of juvenile crimes. Besides, juveniles are also tried in adult courts when they commit many crimes within a single year, indicating that a stiffer punishment would help to change their behavior. The juveniles can be taken to the adult courts if the alleged offense was violent, aggressive, or willful or premeditated manner, meaning that the person has the potential to commit other dangerous crimes. The juvenile can also be tried in an adult court if the alleged offense was against property or persons. The code of ethics requires psychologists to act in the most ethical manner while delivering care to the detainees. In this, cases where injury was involved are taken with a lot of weight to establish the right action for the behavior. If the court has sufficient evidence regarding the defendant, such that, the evidence required for indictment is available, then, there is a possibility that the grand jury would be used to determine the accusation. Juveniles can be tried in adult courts due to the desirability of the trials or a measurement of the entire offense committed by the victim. If the juvenile is mature and sophisticated, then, they are likely to be apprehended in the adult court. The maturity reflects his behavioral practices in the environmental situation, home, pattern of living, and the emotional attitude.

According to my expert opinion, Jason, as reflected in the aforementioned case should be tried in an adult court because he has committed other crimes in the recent past. Besides, Jason was used to committing crimes since he could not adhere to the instructions even when he was told to raise his hands up. In this instance, he just laughed instead of acting in accordance with the instructions. It is apparent that Jason had committed two other previous crimes whereby he opposed an officer. This means that he was rude, besides being involved in a domestic violence. He had charges that could not be associated with juveniles such as the improper discharge of firearms, a situation that pushed him to probation before attaining 18 years of age.

One of the major goals of the juvenile court is to provide rehabilitation to children who have not attained 18 years. However, some crimes mandate the offenders to remain in the juvenile court whereby the probation officers work to change their behavior and their notion about the significant areas that caused the numerous problems which they experience. The adult court is important in rehabilitating the actions which seemed impossible to rectify in the juvenile system. In the adult court system, the juveniles are not perceived as children but law breakers, whereby they receive stiffer types of punishment. In this, the goal of adult courts is more elaborate than that of the juvenile court that deals with children under the age of 18. It is also notable that the juveniles are taken into custody at the period when the adults are arrested. Therefore, juveniles who are taken to the adult courts face stiff charges similar to those of the adults depending on their nature of the offense. The juveniles agree to a resolution or finding while the adult cases must plea guilty or contest. The adjustment to the case is reflected in the case of the juveniles while the adult courts plea bargain. The juveniles may be sent to detention facility while the adults are sent to jail. The juvenile courts sentence the offenders to an array of possibilities while the adult courts sentence them to prison or jail. In this, the juvenile court may include a treatment training school, youth facility, or a psychiatric commitment that depends on the crime that the offender has committed.

In conclusion, I do not agree with the aspect of trying juveniles in the adult courts, because, as reflected, they are likely to face strict forms of punishment. Besides, the adult courts do not offer training to the offenders but base their practices on punishment for the offense. Therefore, they are likely to be sentenced apart from gaining the correct knowledge that is necessary to change their behavior for the better. Additionally, the juveniles are convicted of crimes that can be rectified upon probation. In this, the adult courts may not be an appropriate place for rectifying their behaviors because the goal of the courts is to provide punishment to the law-breakers. Juveniles should not be tried in courts because they are young and the mode of punishment evident in the adult courts may not give them the chance to improve on their behavior. Adult courts pose numerous challenges such as the long periods of imprisonment to the juveniles. The proceedings in the juvenile courts occur in steps which enable the offender to understand his crime and the various ways of changing the illegal conduct. In the adult courts, the proceedings may occur in steps which focus on punishment, as noted in the aforementioned context.