Pros And Cons Of Attempted Crime

Objection 1: Success and Failure
Since attempted crimes are typically of lesser punishment, attempts are decided by whether the crime committed was successful or not. No defendant should get a lesser sentence or punishment for attempting a crime because they are still as morally blameworthy as someone who committed a crime. Punishment of any sort should not be decided by whether the crime was successful or not, but by the defendant’s mental or physical intent to commit the crime. For example, Grandma has full intentions on killing Grandpa. She plans on shooting him with his hunting rifle, but once she does so, Grandpa ends up being saved by a team of heroic doctors. Grandma attempted to kill Grandpa, but in court, she does not get a maximum …show more content…
Though some attempted murder charges do get 25 years in jail to the max sentencing of life in prison or the death penalty, there are still chances of getting a lesser sentence. The average range of an attempted murder sentence is 10-15 years in prison, compared to 25 to life for second-degree murder and life in prison or the death penalty for first-degree murder (Attempted Murder). Those who attempt murder should fall under the latter categories rather than getting ten or more years of less punishment. This could also be applied to when a victim happens to be in a “lucky” situation. Consider an instance in which a defendant goes to rob someone walking their dog. Upon trying to rob them, the defendant flees the scene because the victim has nothing of value on his person. The defendant should be charged with robbery rather than attempted robbery because they had the intent to rob the victim, the defendant only failed because of the victim’s lack of desired items. If the victim had had a wallet, jewelry, or a cell phone, the robber would have taken them. Because the victim “got lucky” and was not technically robbed, this is not substantial enough to give the defendant a lesser sentence because …show more content…
When someone is on trial for an attempted crime, they are guilty morally because of their intent. Because moral intent can only be proven in rare instances, any first step the criminal takes towards acting on a crime, such as researching online or walking outside to commit the crime, proves the intent of the criminal. Therefore, the criminal is also physically guilty and should be convicted. There are also major problems in the justice system today that allow people more opportunity to receive little to no time in prison, as well as second chances to get out of their criminal action. The largest issue at hand with attempted crimes is that criminals can receive less punishment due to the survival or luck of their victims, or failure of their own intended crime. In cases of murder versus attempted murder, defendants receive 25 years in prison, life in prison, or the death penalty, as compared to the 10 to 15 years given for attempted murder. If a defendant failed to commit a crime, they had the intentions of committing the crime fully and should be charged to the fullest extent. The attempt charge was also created with an opportunity for criminals to abandon their attempt and in turn be free of conviction. Abandonment allows room for lies and scamming in the courtroom, and no other criminal has the same sort of second chance to rethink their decisions,