Criminal Justice Differences

In Texas, a 17-year-old, accused of committing crimes goes into the adult criminal justice system, rather than the juvenile.

The juvenile system is designed for rehabilitation while the adult system is designed for preventing people from repeating crimes.

Criminal experts say a lot of crimes are committed by 16 and 17-year-olds, and by holding them accountable in adult court, they’re less likely for recidivism.

They also say trying juveniles in an adult court does not work out well, because the punishments in the adult court are too severe, and the teens deserve a second chance.

As for 17 year-old Eleazar Suarez, a trial date has yet to be set.