Wisconsin girl in stabbing attack in Slenderman case changes plea

[HereSince1628]

7. Well, for one thing, in the first place it wasn't certain she'd be judged as an adult.

Even in Wisconsin, which tends toward trying kids as adults for heinous crimes, there are many laws that restrict children's behavior on the basis that they aren't psychologically well enough developed to participate/ or to make decisions... gun purchases, marriage contracts, various financial obligations, alcohol consumption, dropping out of school...

IMO a lawyer sort of has to go with the best defense they can. Sometimes that is not a great choice and other people won't believe or accept it. But I think there is an argument to be made that a 12 year old shouldn't be tried as an adult due to severity of the offense, a 12 year old should only be tried as an adult if they are adequately developed to function as an adult.

For many things, Wisconsin law and WI society just don't seem to believe 12 year olds can make decisions like adults. IMO, there's an arguable point to be made, even if it has low probability of success, that the girls shouldn't be tried as adults.

In my mind, this isn't really as far out as the "twinkie defense" claim that a junk food diet increased blood sugar and contributed to cognitive impairment.