At what age did Blackstone believe children should be held fully accountable?

At what age did Blackstone believe children should be held fully accountable?

• A. 12
• B. 16
• C. 14
• D. 18

Answer: (C)

Blackstone treated criminal responsibility as something that matures with age. Infants under seven are entirely incapable of crime. From seven up to fourteen there is a presumption of incapacity, meaning liability would only attach if there was clear discernment. Once a youth reaches fourteen, he is considered fully accountable for crimes. So the age at which full accountability begins, in Blackstone’s view, is fourteen. The other ages don’t fit because they fall below or above the point where he marks the shift from partial to full accountability.

Blackstone treated criminal responsibility as something that matures with age. Infants under seven are entirely incapable of crime. From seven up to fourteen there is a presumption of incapacity, meaning liability would only attach if there was clear discernment. Once a youth reaches fourteen, he is considered fully accountable for crimes. So the age at which full accountability begins, in Blackstone’s view, is fourteen. The other ages don’t fit because they fall below or above the point where he marks the shift from partial to full accountability.