Article Reflection No. 23 (8/28/2022)

(Photo Credit: League of Women Voters of Portland)

Article: Setting a Standard: Trying Juveniles for First-Degree Assaults

In the Portola Pilot article “Setting a Standard: Trying Juveniles for First-Degree Assaults”, authors Dheeksha Bhima Reddy and Arnav Chandan highlights the importance of giving punishments apt to crime intensity. To prevent youth from taking advantage of this relatively lenient system, the writers argue, a lesson that must be taught is “setting a standard and trying juveniles for violent first-degree felonies as adults” (Reddy, Chandan 2).

This article includes many applications of Authors’ Craft, including an effective analogy to a well-known current event and use of “logos”. To begin, the writers mention the August 2020 Kyle Rittenhouse conflict. To support their claim, Reddy and Chandan built the story by emphasizing on how Rittenhouse was acquitted of all charges, after being charged as an adult (despite being a minor). As history teacher Natasha Schottland stated in the article, “ ‘there’s got to be some accountability [in extreme circumstances]’ ” ( Reddy, Chandan 5). Secondly, "logos" strategy is shown by a California's Division of Juvenile Justice report, which stated that 74.2% of released juveniles were subject to arrest in the next three years. This evidence suggests that young criminals should not be let go so easily, thus questioning the effectiveness of a such lenient system. Therefore, it helps persuade the reader that first-degree felonies must be accompanied with appropriate ramifications.

Because teenagers and young children are prone to making mistakes that they regret later on as full-fledged, mature adults, leeway for minor crimes should be accepted. However, exceptions in cases involving murder and other extreme felonies must not be allowed, especially in the criminal justice system—a system that impacts society to its entirety.