At this writing a valuable tool in the hands of prosecutors throughout Colorado is being seriously eroded. The ability for prosecutors to file adult charges on violent teens has been seriously compromised in a bill presented by a (surprisingly) Boulder lawmaker.
If you missed the story in Thursday's Daily Sentinel there is a link to it here.
In the face of increasingly violent and sophisticated crimes being committed by juveniles, removing this ability and transforming these adult actions and serious crimes into the same category as theft of a candy bar; which is the functional equivalent of keeping everything in the juvenile justice system, is not just misguided but dangerous.
As in the case cited by our District attorney, a situation in which a juvenile crosses town to shoot a romantic rival in the face would have less sentencing options available than a simple burglary if committed by an adult.
The attitude by some lawmakers presently in the majority that the criminal justice system is somehow flawed, evil and heavy-handed speaks more to their own perception of reality and attitudes concerning personal responsibility than it does to the realities of criminal behavior.
Children behave like children, vicious criminals behave like vicious criminals, be they 15 or 18.
