Cota 1Most Americans today believe that adolescents are more apathetic because of the crimes they commit. According to an expert on adolescent brain development, Laurence Steinberg, "The adolescent brain is still developing [and] the risks taken and mistakes made by young delinquents may be more out of their control than we think." (Steinberg 1). That said, should teenagers be responsible for their actions and be tried as adults? Absolutely, because as Kiley Hamlin said, “Researchers have found that babies as young as six months old already make moral judgments and think we might be born with a moral code hardwired into our brains” (Hamlin 1). Therefore, teenagers should be held accountable for their actions and tried as adults because these violent crimes are premeditated, against the law, and if a teenager has the mental capacity to plan a violent crime, they should have the mental capacity to recognize the consequences of the crime. Premeditation is something that is thought and/or planned in advance. Most violent crimes that still occur today are not random, which is why defendants should be held accountable then tried as adults for their mistakes. In terms of premeditation, a violent crime must have the specific intent to injure another individual. I stand by my perspective: if these teenagers could be so cruel and commit such a violent crime, they should be tried as adults. If a defendant commits a violent crime and is not taken seriously and/or tried as an adult, others will go to Cota 2 believing they will be “wiped out” if they follow in the defendant's footsteps. A friend of mine had a personal experience of a minor being tried as an adult, convicted of murder... middle of paper... teenagers are old enough to know that a violent crime is illegal. In conclusion, it is undeniable that trying these juveniles in our adult courts would benefit our society. By keeping these young adults off the streets, we create a safe environment for people. When teenagers are tried as adults, we not only think about their families, but also about the safety of our community. Even if a teenager didn't know it was wrong, it doesn't mean it was right. All in all, there should be no mercy for these teenagers who commit such gruesome and violent crimes. Works Cited Kaiser, Emily. “6 Facts About Crime and the Teenage Brain.” MPRnews. Np, May 15, 2013. Web.Edwards, Lin. "Psychologists say that babies can tell right from wrong even at six months old." Phys.org. Np, 10 May 2010. Web.H, Jeffrey. “Teenagers should be tried as adults.” Teen ink. Np, nd Web. 12 December. 2013.