A teenager decides to try an illegal drug without telling his friends or parents. It has a negative take, and, under the influence of the drug, kills four innocent people.
The jury is deciding between two punishments: A) Death Row. B) Life sentence in jail.
Which do you think they should choose and why?
I'm not really answering this question, just some objections:
ReplyDeleteFirst of all, he is a teenager, he would go to a juvenile detention center or something of that nature.
Second, because he is a teenager and is of a young age, another option to consider would be some form of therapy, but he would still serve time in a jail/juvenile detention center.
But if we do consider the scenario as stated, I would choose life sentence in jail. Okay, both of the punishments are severe as is, and I do have some opposition to how this was stated (as above), but I would choose the lesser of the two. I believe the only crime he committed was taking drugs illegally. The crimes that he committed while under the influence of the illegal drugs were just side effects, and by taking the drugs, he accepted that there would eventually be side effects and there would be consequences from those side effects.
But if you had to kill at least three people to go on Death Row, then why should this kid be let off of that punishment? Because he took illegal drugs? Which is something else that he is punished by!
ReplyDeleteWhy should this person be let off when all other people who have killed four people are immediately put on death row?
This is why this case isn't really valid for debate. There are other options other than these two (again, because he is a teenager and not an adult).
ReplyDeleteDefinitely a life sentence. Though taking drugs is wrong, and any crime he commited under the influence of a drug still deserves a sever punishment. It is not the same as if he did it in full possesion of his mental faculties.
ReplyDeleteSecond, as fong said. He is young, and I think that especially because of his age, death row is completely innapropriate, and maybe even a life sentence is too long. He made a mistake, he did not kill these people because he wanted to kill them, he did not murder them in cold blood, and it was not premeditated. He made a mistake. Should he be punished? Yes, but he shouldn't be killed
And @ Fong
ReplyDeleteFor serious crimes minors can be tried as adults and charged with the same punishments
also I don't think the jury decides punishments. I think it's the judge. The jury just votes innocent vs. guilty
ReplyDelete@Sophie: I think he should be let off because taking drugs actually changes your brain chemistry, he was literally not himself when he did these things. As Fong said I think the thing he should be punished for is taking drugs. He didn't know that the side effects of the drugs would be what they were. He did not kill them in cold blood. It's certainly not the same as someone picking up an axe and murdering 4 people. That's why he shouldn't be punished in the same way as someone who did that.
ReplyDelete