5th-graders accused of plotting to kill classmate

[Hum]

SPOKANE, Wash. ? The effort to prosecute two boys, ages 10 and 11, for allegedly bringing weapons to a Colville school in a plot to kill a classmate is posing legal challenges because the suspects are so young.

The state's criminal justice system presumes that children below the age of 12 do not have the capacity to understand they are planning to commit crimes, Stevens County Prosecutor Tim Rasmussen said Thursday.

A judge can allow prosecutors to pursue criminal charges in juvenile court for children between the ages of 8 and 12, but only if prosecutors can show the youths understood the difference between right and wrong.

"Is it the kind of thing everyone would know is wrong?" Rasmussen said of the legal burden.

The boys were arrested at Fort Colville Elementary School on Feb. 7 after a fourth-grader saw one playing with a knife on the school bus and told a school employee. The capacity hearing is set for Feb. 20 in Colville, about 75 miles north of Spokane.

If convicted in juvenile court, the boys would likely be incarcerated in a juvenile hall, possibly up to the age of 18, Rasmussen said.

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[spacer]

12 year olds absolutely have the capacity to understand the consequences of their actions. I don't know what idiots in the legal system think otherwise. Probably those who don't have kids.

[techbeck]

Prosecute the parents....a lot of whats wrong with kids these days can be traced back to them.

[Hum]

We should ban schools.

[perochan]

Prosecute the parents....a lot of whats wrong with kids these days can be traced back to them.

This. Kids turn bad is always parents' fault.

[Nayos]

We should ban schools.

Ban kids

[FloatingFatMan]

Ban kids

Ban humanity. This planet would do much better without us. :p

[psionicinversion]

kids defending arguement... but if i kill him he'll respawn next round!!

[Richteralan]

12 year olds absolutely have the capacity to understand the consequences of their actions. I don't know what idiots in the legal system think otherwise. Probably those who don't have kids.

Its the opposite: who shelters their kids like little snow flakes.

The people who don't have kids don't care.

We should ban schools.

This post has 3 likes. Makes me feel people nowadays are willing to be dumb.

[Hum]

^ If we didn't force many kids together who are not going to like each other, not going to get along, there might be less violence. ;)

These days we could have computer schooling at home.

[Growled Member]

12 year olds absolutely have the capacity to understand the consequences of their actions. I don't know what idiots in the legal system think otherwise. Probably those who don't have kids.

Probably so. I'm not sure why we elect such idiots time after time.

[Richteralan]

^ If we didn't force many kids together who are not going to like each other, not going to get along, there might be less violence. ;)

These days we could have computer schooling at home.

Right, because they will know how to deal with it IRL when they grow up.

This is exactly the wrong attitude: Something is not working? Instead of trying to get it work, we just avoid it.

[Hum]

^ You can see from the evening News, many people never grow out of bullying & hate. ;) Schools did not work.

[Richteralan]

^ You can see from the evening News, many people never grow out of bullying & hate. ;) Schools did not work.

That's another problem: parents should start actually parenting, instead of let the school deal with it.

It all bogs down to bad parents, bad parenting.

And no, having kids doesn't magically make you know how to parent.

And again you proved my point: instead of making things work, we just avoid it.

[Growled Member]

I think it's too late for the parents to get involved now.

[Hum]

^ I don't know where the myth comes from that all parents have the time or training to guide & monitor every aspect of their children's life.

Many parents are working hard just to pay the bills, or looking desperately for work.

In many cases, parents are single.

Many who have children are themselves not able, mentally or physically, to raise kids.

Sadly, not every child is not going to get the one-on-one care that they need.

[Richteralan]

^ I don't know where the myth comes from that all parents have the time or training to guide & monitor every aspect of their children's life.

Many parents are working hard just to pay the bills, or looking desperately for work.

In many cases, parents are single.

Many who have children are themselves not able, mentally or physically, to raise kids.

Sadly, not every child is not going to get the one-on-one care that they need.

Of course. But those kind of families are not the majority.

And what can teachers do? Do YOU feel comfortable with teachers discipline your kids in school? No?

It's not excuses after excuses. Someone has to take the responsibility. And it has to be the parents, period. It's the sad reality of parenting.

Going back to your "banning school" post I replied to, how does that work if parents have no time for their kids as you described? Do you see how ridiculous "banning school" sounds?