-=> Quoting Robert Craft to Walter Luffman <=-
 RC> The juvenile justice system [an oxymoron if I ever heard
 RC> one] was never designed nor equipped to handle violent
 RC> felons. To pretend that it was and is constitutes liberal
 RC> wish-fulfillment of the more deranged kind. Adult crimes
 RC> require adult punishment. Nor should past criminal history
 RC> be concealed from juries during the punitive phase. 
I agree completely with this.  The juvenile justice system
was intended to let minor (in both senses of the word)
offenders start fresh once they have reached an age where
they presumably have matured and put that part of their
lives behind them.  Of course, when those laws were enacted
people were much more concerned about an adult's character,
and even a relatively trivial juvenile offense might hurt
a now-upstanding adult's chances of getting a promotion or
being elected to public office.
For good or bad, these days few people care about "little
things" that may be on someone's juvenile record.  At the
same time, minors can have their records sealed even after
committing serious violent felonies.  It appears the time
has come to end most, if not all, of the legal distinctions
between juveniles and adults.  At the very least,
convictions on any counts involving the use of physical
force, or which cause the death or permanent injury of
another person, should remain a part of a person's
permanent record.
Walter, Forked Deer River Ilks
wluffman@usit.net
... No technique works if it isn't used. - Larry Niven
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