The Getaway VehicleI rarely find myself longing for the good old days of my own childhood. After all, those days were filled with processed foods as meals, and the accepted notion that dad rules the house. But after reading that a 10-year-old is being charged with a felony for stealing a neighbor's bicycle? Oh lord, it's time to get some 1970s perspective.
This kid committed his wild crime spree while riding his tricycle around the neighborhood, for Pete's sake. A three-wheeled getaway car, people. Is that worth a felony charge?
I understand that the lady who had her bike and bb gun stolen is rightfully pissed. I would be mad if some kid rolled up on his trike and grabbed my two-wheeler and a bb gun. Especially when I was sitting inside the house. That's brazen. Although, it sounds like the garage was open, so lady, maybe secure your things a little bit better from curious children, mmkay?
You know what happened back in the day if a kid stole another kid's bike in the neighborhood? It usually went one of three ways: 1) A phone call was made to the kid's parents, and the kid sheepishly returned the stolen goods; 2) Ripped off kid confronts kid who stole and a "you did it" and "nuh-uh" war erupts until one of them gets tired of it and gives in; 3) That kid got his ass beat by a neighborhood gang of toughs.
Today, however, it's a felony. Get some perspective suburban Florida. Otherwise you're going to have to start booking toddlers for reaching in the candy bins and eating gummy bears without paying.
What the heck?
Image via earlycj5/Flickr
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Comments 40
I'm having trouble finding out if he's being tried as a juvenile or not. I didn't think juveniles could be charged with a felony (unless their charged as an adult obviously). If this is being delt with in juvenile court, then it's perfectly reasonable because it'll be off his record at 18. The kid needs to learn that actions have consequences, and this is a very serious action! Especially since it was planned (at his own admission).
However, if for some reason he's being tried as an adult, yeah this is absolute crap. He's 10, the wiring in his brain is not complete, making it much harder for kids to think about consequences and other people (hence why kids/teens are so egocentric...they really can't help it). This doesn't excuse his behavior, but it most certainly presents a mitigating factor and it is unreasonable to hold someone at that age to the same level as a full-functioning adult. That's the whole point of having a separate court for juveniles.
I'm hoping it's the latter, in which case, hey, better he learn this lesson now than 8+ years from now, and perhaps his peers will learn a thing or two as well.
You can be charged as an adult for a felony and still be given juvenile sanctions. So there's no way a detention center will give a bed to a non-violent juvenile offender. But if a 10 year old (and 10 year olds are perfectly able to understand the concept of theft and why its wrong) stole something, especially a bb gun, then it was that woman's right to call the police. In Florida it is illegal for a minor to posses a bb gun wihtout adult supervision so I think it was appropriate to call the police.