Youth: Violent offenders given too much slack

Re: “Judges get leeway in sentencing juvenile offenders,” (TNT, 3/3).

I was stunned by this article. The Supreme Court sends yet another signal that a teenager can commit almost any crime and can anticipate leniency. Indeed, I have heard many a young person claim that he can risk breaking the law because he is just a juvenile.

It is lame logic, indeed, to assert that a teen is legally less accountable due to a less developed brain. If so, how can we justify allowing a 16-year-old to operate a two-ton automobile? If he is fully required to obey the rules of the road, he likewise should be required to obey the laws of society.

While we are at it, what about equal justice for the victim of a youthful perpetrator? A bullet fired by a young person will kill you just as well as a bullet fired by an adult.

This story was originally published March 15, 2017 at 4:37 PM with the headline "Youth: Violent offenders given too much slack."