BY: A. HADDAD

• The killing of one person by another• Can be intentional or unintentional• Accidents and murder

• MURDER:

• Killing someone with malice of forethought.• Could be done while committing another

crime.• Always illegal.

Homicide: killing of one person or another either

intentionally or unintentionally. Includes accidents and murders.

First-degree murder

• Killing a person with malice of forethought; the killing was planned. It was done deliberately.

• Killing done during a crime deemed dangerous to a human life. The crime was most likely not committed with the intention of killing

Second-degree murder

Killing a person due to illegal driving of an automobile, including gross negligence, drunk driving, reckless driving or speeding.

• Can be a misdemeanor or a felony.

Voluntary manslaughter: killing someone intentionally but without

malice of forethought.

Involuntary manslaughter: killing someone unlawfully but without

malice of forethought

• Sentencing: Sentenced to life in prison without parole.

• If you committed a crime and you were under the age of 18, do you think it would be fair for you to be punished like an adult who committed the same crime?

• What characteristics make a person an adult, juvenile, or child? Who is a juvenile and what qualities are different about a juvenile compared to an adult or a child?

• Brainstorm a list of qualities that characterize a juvenile but not an adult or a child.

• A troubled seventeen-year old girl has slowly poisoned her parents each night at dinner. After three months she came home to find them dead on the kitchen floor. The coroner’s report indicated that cyanide poisoning caused their deaths. What is your verdict?

• First-degree murder• Sentenced to life without parole

• Three sixteen-year-olds were hanging out at the park drinking whiskey. One boy started shoved his friend. Soon the shoving escalated into punching. One boy tripped, and his head hit a sharp-edged rock. The boy died before help arrived. What is your verdict

• Second-degree murder• Sentenced to 3 years in prison after being tried as

an adult.

• Thinking his girlfriend is cheating, a 16-year-old boy goes to her house and finds her in bed with his brother. Impulsively, he grabs the nearest lamp and hits his brother on the head. His brother dies from a concussion two days later.

• And the sentencing is…

Sentencing

• Sentenced to 6 years in prison

• A 13 year old boy breaks into an auto parts business to steal hubcaps. The 17 year old security guard picks up his boss’ gun and fires 2 warning shots at the thief. The second shot hits the 13 year old and kills him on the spot.

• And the sentencing is…

Sentencing

• Sentenced to 15 years to life.

• What do the titles of the two articles “Kids are Kids” and “Supreme court to Rule on Executing Young Killers” tell you they will be about?

• “Kids are Kids” was published in The Sacramento Bee. “Supreme Court to Rule was published in The New York Times. What can you predict about them based on their length of their paragraphs? How do you think they will be the same? How do you think they will be different?

• What issue do you think these articles are going to discuss? What position do you think Kiptak and Lundstrom will take?

• What do you think “Supreme Court to Rule on Executing Young Killers” is going to be about?

• What do you think is the purpose of this text?• Who do you think is the intended audience for this

piece? How do you know this?• Based on the title and other features of the text,

what information and ideas might this essay present?

• What is Lundstrom’s opinion on that topic of juvenile crime?

• Turn the title into a question to answer as you read the essay

• Constitutionality• Prosecutors• Demeanor• Remorse• Alienated• Nonchalant• Plummeting• Culpability • Mitigating

• Inconsistency• Quandary• Heinous• Coddling• Perpetuating

• Which of your predictions turned out to be true?• What surprised you?• As you read the articles, you will find that they

discuss 5 recent cases in which teenagers were tried as adults for violent crimes.

• Defendant, Age, Crime, Sentence• Highlight where the arguments are made in the

texts for or against punishing juveniles like adults.

• Read playing the doubting game.• Label what the author is saying in the left hand margin:

intro, issue or problem, main arguments, examples, conclusion.

• Right hand margin, write your reactions• Trade and discuss.

Why Thompson chose to use the following words

• Massive (p7)• Wildfire (p7)• Purged (p7)• Violent passions (p7)• Rash actions (p7)• Vastly immature (p7)• Erratic behavior (p9)• Maelstrom (p10)

• Reckless actions (p10)

• Startling (p10)• Delicate (p10)• Drastic (p10)

Thompson’s sentences are fairly long and complex, but the last sentence in paragraph 6 is short. Why is this sentence so short?

Write a summary of “many kids called unfit for adult trial” by Greg Krikorian.

• What are Krikorian’s major claims and assertions? Do you agree with his claims?

• Are any of his claims weak or unsupported? Which one and why?

• Can you think of counter arguments that Krikorian doesn’t consider?

• Krikorian is reporting on a study by Thomas Grisso. What is Grisso’s background? Do you think he is trustworthy?

• Krikorian also quotes Laurence Steinburg. Who is he? Is he a reliable person to interpret what the study means?

• Krikorian is a staff writer for the LA Times who frequenctly writes about legal issues. Does he seem trustworthy to write about this topic? Explain.

• Can you tell what Krikorian’s POV is, or can you only tell the POV of the author of the study?

• Does “Many kids” affect you emotionally? Explain.

• Do you think Krikorian is trying to manipulate your emotions? In what ways? At what point?

• Do your emotions conflict with the logical interpretation of the arguments?

• What are Thompson’s major claims and assertions? Do you agree with his claims?

• Are any of his claims weak or unsupported? Explain.

• Can you think of counter-arguments that Thompson doesn’t consider?

• What is Thompson’s background? Do you think he is trustworthy?

• Does Thompson seem deceptive? Why or why not?

• Can you tell what Thompson’s POV is?

• Does “Startling Finds” affect you emotionally? What parts?

• Do you think Thompson is trying to manipulate your emotions? IN what ways? At what point?

• Do your emotions conflict with the logical interpretation of the arguments?

• Should teenagers accused of violent crimes be tried and sentenced as adults? Why or why not?

• Be sure to refer to and cite the reading and your web-based research. You may also use examples from your personal experience or observations

Vocabulary in Context

Constitutionality (1)Constitutionality (1)

Prosecutors (1)Prosecutors (1)

Demeanor (2)Demeanor (2)

Remorse (2)Remorse (2)

Alienated (2)Alienated (2)

Nonchalant (2)Nonchalant (2)

Plummeting (4)Plummeting (4)

Culpability (7)Culpability (7)

Mitigating (9)Mitigating (9)

Answer Questions• Do you think that sentencing juvenile killers to the death

penalty is a “cruel and unusual” punishment? • Should juveniles be punished less harshly than adults?• Describe the demeanor of a teenager you know. Do you

think that such a demeanor would cause a jury to be lenient?

• Do you think execution should be banned for some age groups of juveniles? Which age groups?

• What factors do you think juries should take into account when they sentence juveniles?

• Do you agree with Lundstrom that it is inconsistent to deny privileges like voting and drinking to teenagers but then to sentence them as adults? Why?

• Do you think juveniles should be tried as adults if they commit especially bad crimes?

• Do you agree with Lundstrom that the media perpetuates the stereotype of violent youths?