Fifth Grader Is Convicted in Murder Plot

You wouldn’t think it, but it is possible for our young children to be convicted of crimes as serious as conspiracy to commit murder. This story is out of the state of Washington. An 11-year-old boy apparently was “annoyed” with his classmate and plotted to commit murder. The situation escalated to the point where the boy brought a knife and a gun to school in his backpack. So this makes me wonder: should a fifth grade school boy really be prosecuted for conspiracy to murder? Or should our societal response be to bring this boy to a doctor and have him receive mental health treatment and counseling? Check out coverage at New York Times and ABA Journal.