[MrEdd]

The society we live in recognizes that maturity both for accepting positive responsibility (such as those like myself who finish school early and enter the military) and those criminals deemed responsible and tried as adults.

I believe that the judge and the jury who heard the young man's case were in a position to accurately assess the man's culpability and maturity. I do not support the mentality that believes serious consequences must never be meted out until age 18, sorry - you'll have to try to sell that concept to someone who was never on the receiving end of violent juvenile offenders - which I personally was as a child.

[Kitten Festival]

Whatever your subjective view of these things, the law is the law. 17 is still a juvenile, no matter how big a criminal we are talking about. (And this little punk borrowed mom's car without asking). He was still a kid. He was 17. The law is the law.