Unique? Poor kid never had a chance.

What is a 16 year old doing running with a 26 year old? That was a sure sign of trouble to start with. Mama's need to know who their children are messing around with - if it is someone older - you can bet there is gonna be trouble to begin with.

I will give odds that neither of the pictures young men had their fathers in the home, that both have mothers who had their first child as a teen. Something has to be done to hold FATHERS accountable and responsible for their children...and sometimes mothers.

More on the age and the justice system:

Even after turning 18, judges can consider the age and reliable supervision outside of jail;

they can't be given the death penalty, if under 18 at the offense.

Those not convicted of a felony can have records expunged at 18, which helps with plea bargains.

Those under 26 are placed in selected prisons rather than thrown into the general prison population (remember Polk Youth Detention?)

Age is an arbitrary boundary between adult and child.

Students under 16, if arrested, are turned over to the parent. If it is a fight at school, or on the street, there will likely no charges made by the police, mostly because nothing happens that day, for even then, the student's parent would be called to pick them up rather than be taken to jail, where again, the parent would pick them up.

There's a good case for not treating anyone like an 'adult' at any age until certain mental mileposts are attained. IF juvenile justice could show they are truly effective, it would help raise the age and give treatment rather than punishment. I don't want to see 'selected cases' one way or the other, but want to see that those in juvenile systems don't wind up in the adult system.