A study released in 2003 by the Research Network on Adolescent Development and Juvenile Justice found that 33 percent of juvenile defendants in criminal courts had the same low level of understanding of legal matters as mentally ill adults who had been found incompetent to stand trial. Legal psychologist Richard E. Redding believes that "adolescents' lack of life experience may limit their real-world decision-making ability. Whether we call it wisdom, judgment, or common sense, adolescents may not have nearly enough." ? Juveniles are generally more impulsive, more likely to engage in risky behavior, and less likely to calculate the long-term consequences of any particular action. Furthermore, adolescents are far more likely to respond to peer pressure than are adults, meaning that they

often engage in the same criminal or delinquent behavior as their friends. What was the main reason given by the U.S. Supreme Court in its landmark decision in Roper v. Simmons (2005)?

A. Juvenile delinquency
B. Preponderance of the evidence
C. Diminished culpability
D. Status offending


Answer: C

Criminal Justice

You might also like to view...

By 2016, what percentage of major U.S. cities reported either already using police body-worn cameras or were planning to introduce them?

a. >25 b. >55 c. >75 d. >95

Criminal Justice

A computerized archive of information relating to a specific type of physical evidence is a(n):

a. Evidence database. b. Information database. c. Comparison database. d. Forensic database.

Criminal Justice

It is rare for an individual to possess both affective and cognitive empathy

Indicate whether the statement is true or false

Criminal Justice

A(n) _____________ contains basic principles and procedural safeguards for the institutions and powers of government and the rights of individuals.

Fill in the blank(s) with the appropriate word(s).

Criminal Justice