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.
Minnesota’s Zero Tolerance for Teens Drinking and Driving
DWIs are one of the most common criminal charges in Minnesota. Some estimates show that one out of every seven drivers in Minnesota has a DWI on their record. Since prosecutors see this charge often, it can be difficult to avoid a DWI conviction without compelling...