Episode Question:
By carpenter5
@carpenter5 (6782)
United States
March 19, 2009 3:51pm CST
I'm currently watching an episode of Law and Order SVU that surprisingly, I haven't seen yet. There are two teenaged boys, one of which isn't all there mentally. One of them raped and murdered a woman after breaking into her apartment.
The one that has diminished capacity is older, and is being charged as an adult, even though he doesn't really understand what is going on.
Do you think that people with diminished capacity (for real) should be held accountable for crimes, or should they be sent to a mental facility? I personally don't know what I think. On one hand I think they need to be punished, but in this case, I don't think he should have been charged as an adult.
2 people like this
3 responses
@maezee (41997)
• United States
19 Mar 09
I guess it depends if he's mentally (morally) capable of distinguishing between RIGHT and WRONG. I guess I would want an experienced, federal-funded psychologist to analyze him and decide. If it turns out he has the mental capacity to make moral decisions (and did this upon his own will), then I would say jail is definitely an option. If it turns out they don't have that kind of mental capacity, then they should just be sent to a supervised inpatient program for the mentally hadicap. I think they should only be held (criminally) accountable if they know the difference between right and wrong; it's not fair otherwise.
..Man does Law & Order bring up some discussion-worthy topics! I love SVU by the way. 
1 person likes this
@carpenter5 (6782)
• United States
20 Mar 09
This episode was one I hadn't seen. It was really just kind of sad. The poor kid didn't understand what he had done. He was so intent on keeping his friendship with the other kid. He sat on the stand and just cried because he couldn't figure out why he was being punished when he didn't think he'd done anything wrong.
@maezee (41997)
• United States
22 Mar 09
That is sad. I think he should be put in some kind of institution, then, as sad as it sounds. He's obviously a danger to others, and shouldn't just be left in his parent/guardian's supervision. I think I've seen this one, but I really don't remember. lol.
Thanks for the BR by the way!
1 person likes this
@carpenter5 (6782)
• United States
15 Jun 09
I know what you mean. There are so many of the detective shows that we watch on a regular basis: Law and Order, SVU ( I don't like criminal intent); NCIS, Numbers, CSI New York and Miami, and now flashpoint is my new favorite. Sometimes they all seem to bleed into each other and I forget which show I've seen a certain topic on.
@cream97 (29087)
• United States
20 Mar 09
Hi, carpenter5! Yes, they need to be punished. If they knew what they were doing then they should be held liable for it. Yes, they should be held accountable for their crimes. They took a life, which never can be given back! They should be sent to a mental facility that locks up teenagers whom have committed gruesome crimes. This is sad. Are you watching TNT by chance?
1 person likes this
@carpenter5 (6782)
• United States
22 Mar 09
I was actually watching USA network at the time. TNT does run the law and order SVU episodes, but so do several of the other cable channels. I always miss the original episodes because it seems like it's on at an odd night or time or something and I forget it's on. I had heard that some of the characters had changed on the new episodes.
@Amberluv2000 (406)
• United States
20 Mar 09
I saw this episode and I thought it was interesting. Too bad the mother did not listen to the distict attorney and take the deal. I think that people with diminished capacity should be sent to a mental facility so they can the help that they need.
1 person likes this
@carpenter5 (6782)
• United States
22 Mar 09
I agree completely! I think the problem there is that many people who have not really had dimiinshed capacity have used this defense so much that juries are just leery of it anymore. Someone does something wrong and if they don't want to suffer the consequences, they just holler "I'm insane!" then when someone else comes along that really does need that defense, they don't get believed.
