There is something wrong with our legal system.........

[CrznDnUS1]

I was in juvenile court the other day for reasons to be left unsaid, but there is a serious problem with this countries courts. First I would like to say that this is the best system by far and I would not give it up for any other countries but................
Here it goes, and any lawyers please chime in. I overheard a guardian talking to their councilor and there was a 8 yr old kid charged with 3rd degree assault, terroristic threats and terroristic assault. That is a gross mis-use of our laws as they were created. This kid threatened another student in school with a fire extinguisher (terroristic threats) and then sprayed it at the other student in anger (terroristic assault). In my opinion this kid should never have been charged with anything related to a terrorist. Yes, he was wrong for threatening someone with a extinguisher but he is not a terrorist. This is something that drastically needs to be changed in this country as everyone is too busy being a PATRIOT and not looking at what the heck they are doing or saying. No way can a 8 year old kid be a terrorist. That's just plain wrong.

[OystersandBeer]

No way can a 8 year old kid be a terrorist. That's just plain wrong.

How do you know the ordeal wasn' t terrifying to the kid who got hosed? A terrorist is one who uses terror as a means of coercion. In that case, "terror" was used correctly. Was he going to cause mass terror? Highly unlikely. But he was a terrorist, just not in the same sense as we have all became accustomed to thinking about terrorists.



But I get what you were saying.

[12vmanRick]

Unfortunately our overly politically correct world has actually made us politically incorrect.

Two popular misused words which definitions in the past 20yrs in Webster have been dramatically changed.

racism/racist
terrorist

[CrznDnUS1]

No way can a 8 year old kid be a terrorist. That's just plain wrong.

How do you know the ordeal wasn' t terrifying to the kid who got hosed? A terrorist is one who uses terror as a means of coercion. In that case, "terror" was used correctly. Was he going to cause mass terror? Highly unlikely. But he was a terrorist, just not in the same sense as we have all became accustomed to thinking about terrorists.



But I get what you were saying.

So then anyone who commits a crime which scares someone is a terroist? I think not. As 12vmanRick says this world is way to PC. Especially the North East. I have a serious issue when someone can be charged with drug paraphernalia for having a big pen (crack pipe) even if it has not been used or a pack of cigarette papers. Maybe I roll my own cigerettes.

[RinglingRingling]

No way can a 8 year old kid be a terrorist. That's just plain wrong.

How do you know the ordeal wasn' t terrifying to the kid who got hosed? A terrorist is one who uses terror as a means of coercion. In that case, "terror" was used correctly. Was he going to cause mass terror? Highly unlikely. But he was a terrorist, just not in the same sense as we have all became accustomed to thinking about terrorists.



But I get what you were saying.

I gotta wonder what the rest of the circumstances were... did the "terrified kid" just happen into the situation where the extinguisher was discharged? Was he older or younger than the 8 year old? Was he harrassing the 8 year old either singly or as part of a group? Is the 8 year old prone to violent outbursts without provocation?

I gotta say: if the "terrified kid" was tormenting the kid with the fire-extinguisher, then it's "offsetting penalties" and life goes forward.

[12vmanRick]

As 12vmanRick says this world is way to PC.

HOLY CRAP DON'T AGREE WITH ME YOU'LL BE AN OUTCAST

[pbans]

For what it's worth....the term and the crime "Terroristic Threats" has been around for a long time, it's not something that has come in to being recently, nor is it in any way related to "terrorism" as we know it......as for an eight year old being charged, that's another issue....I don't believe a kid that young is culpable, certainly not criminally.

[RinglingRingling]

For what it's worth....the term and the crime "Terroristic Threats" has been around for a long time, it's not something that has come in to being recently, nor is it in any way related to "terrorism" as we know it......as for an eight year old being charged, that's another issue....I don't believe a kid that young is culpable, certainly not criminally.

like I've been known to say, "If you are old enough to be charged as an adult for a crime, you must be old enough to drink..."

[12vmanRick]

For what it's worth....the term and the crime "Terroristic Threats" has been around for a long time, it's not something that has come in to being recently, nor is it in any way related to "terrorism" as we know it......as for an eight year old being charged, that's another issue....I don't believe a kid that young is culpable, certainly not criminally.

like I've been known to say, "If you are old enough to be charged as an adult for a crime, you must be old enough to drink..."

I always said if you are old enough to die for your country you are old enough to do anything in it!

[RinglingRingling]

For what it's worth....the term and the crime "Terroristic Threats" has been around for a long time, it's not something that has come in to being recently, nor is it in any way related to "terrorism" as we know it......as for an eight year old being charged, that's another issue....I don't believe a kid that young is culpable, certainly not criminally.

like I've been known to say, "If you are old enough to be charged as an adult for a crime, you must be old enough to drink..."

I always said if you are old enough to die for your country you are old enough to do anything in it!

while I agree with you on that note, what I don't think legislators understood in their rush to "look tough on crime" was that if a 12 year old can be held legally-responsible for their actions against another, they must also be able to make other decisions for themselves that have the same force of law/standing as those of a 45 year old.

Either the concept of a "legal adulthood" is uniform across the board whether that is 12, 18, 21 or 50; or the whole concept is ludicrous.

[alphabits]

For what it's worth....the term and the crime "Terroristic Threats" has been around for a long time, it's not something that has come in to being recently, nor is it in any way related to "terrorism" as we know it......as for an eight year old being charged, that's another issue....I don't believe a kid that young is culpable, certainly not criminally.

like I've been known to say, "If you are old enough to be charged as an adult for a crime, you must be old enough to drink..."

I always said if you are old enough to die for your country you are old enough to do anything in it!

while I agree with you on that note, what I don't think legislators understood in their rush to "look tough on crime" was that if a 12 year old can be held legally-responsible for their actions against another, they must also be able to make other decisions for themselves that have the same force of law/standing as those of a 45 year old.

Either the concept of a "legal adulthood" is uniform across the board whether that is 12, 18, 21 or 50; or the whole concept is ludicrous.

Don't worry R2, there's little chance you'll ever be accused of acting like an adult.

[ph4ever]

As 12vmanRick says this world is way to PC.

HOLY CRAP DON'T AGREE WITH ME YOU'LL BE AN OUTCAST

so that's what happened to me - I must have agreed with you at one point in the past

[Tequila Revenge]

Silly me. I thought this might have had something to do with Kenny Lay having his conviction over turned today. Only in America

[12vmanRick]

As 12vmanRick says this world is way to PC.

HOLY CRAP DON'T AGREE WITH ME YOU'LL BE AN OUTCAST

so that's what happened to me - I must have agreed with you at one point in the past

Others should take note!

[kitty]

I have a serious issue when someone can be charged with drug paraphernalia for having a big pen (crack pipe) even if it has not been used or a pack of cigarette papers. Maybe I roll my own cigerettes.

So, do we now know why you were in court??

[CrznDnUS1]

no but i still use bic pens. and don't smoke crack, but i got a spicy monkey on my back.

[RinglingRingling]

For what it's worth....the term and the crime "Terroristic Threats" has been around for a long time, it's not something that has come in to being recently, nor is it in any way related to "terrorism" as we know it......as for an eight year old being charged, that's another issue....I don't believe a kid that young is culpable, certainly not criminally.

like I've been known to say, "If you are old enough to be charged as an adult for a crime, you must be old enough to drink..."

I always said if you are old enough to die for your country you are old enough to do anything in it!

while I agree with you on that note, what I don't think legislators understood in their rush to "look tough on crime" was that if a 12 year old can be held legally-responsible for their actions against another, they must also be able to make other decisions for themselves that have the same force of law/standing as those of a 45 year old.

Either the concept of a "legal adulthood" is uniform across the board whether that is 12, 18, 21 or 50; or the whole concept is ludicrous.

Don't worry R2, there's little chance you'll ever be accused of acting like an adult.

yes, it's true... I've never lost my child-like sense of wonder...

[habourgirl]

Here's my take on it...

First of all, I'd want to know the entire story. What the actual facts were. Witness accounts, etc. But even so, I couldn't see how this 8 yr old can be charged with terrorist assault, etc. When enacting those statutes, I'm sure it wasn't the legislatures intent to add that element to crimes in which children in school were picking on and beating up other children. The state is ridiculous for even charging the juvenile with that. The most ridiculous thing my office has charged someone with (which I vehemently objected) was a murder 2 when it was simply vehicular homicide - manslaughter. But because the guy had a criminal history and what not, they overcharged. Usually the judge will sort it out. But who knows.

Just my take on the situation from the legal profession.

[12vmanRick]

[quote="RinglingRingling]
while I agree with you on that note[/quote]

dude, be forewarned, those that continue to agree with me will be an outcast

as a PS though, don't EVEN get me started on laws about age of consent, etc.

[RinglingRingling]

while I agree with you on that note

dude, be forewarned, those that continue to agree with me will be an outcast

as a PS though, don't EVEN get me started on laws about age of consent, etc.

it's not like anyone talks with me anyway..

and you have a deal.