PUBLIC NEEDS TO KNOW ABOUT SOME CRIMES

If a 14-year-old boy from a small community in western Tennessee had stolen a handgun from his friend's stepfather, managed to get to a Jackson school and, frightened by the sight of a nearby police officer, accidentally shot and killed a teacher, this area would have been in the national news for days on end.

But, in a case that affect us, a 14-year-old boy is believed to have stolen an automobile from his friend's stepfather. The youth then drove the car -- accompanied by two young friends -- to Jackson where, apparently frighted by the sight of a sheriff's patrol car checking on reports or erratic driving, the vehicle went out of control, resulting in a chain reaction that ultimately left a 22-year-old woman dead.

This tragic story is as full of human suffering as any of the school shootings. In nearly every instance, even though juveniles were involved, the young suspects have been treated as adults and have had to face stiff charges from county prosecutors. In Arkansas recently, the juvenile judge handling the case of two youngsters involved in the school shooting near Jonesboro took the unusual step of making the proceedings public because of the intense interest in the cast and the nature of the crime.

No decision has been announced yet, more than a week after the horrible accident in Jackson in which another eight people were injured, as to whether 14-year-old Lannie Fowler of Halls, Tenn., will be certified as an adult to face criminal charges here in Cape Girardeau County.

There is little doubt that if this decision had to be left to most residents of the county in which the fatal accident occurred, the youngster would be facing any number of charges and the possibility, if found guilty, of a prison sentence.

But our juvenile justice system tends to take the view that youngsters who do bad things shouldn't be treated like adults. As a result, most wind up spending a few months or a few years in a juvenile facility with a guarantee of release and no criminal record to carry over into their adult lives. Meanwhile, the juvenile justice system protects they young offenders with secrecy, and the public is left with little or no information.

Any number of legal factors will, no doubt, have to be given careful consideration in this particular case. And it goes without saying that most of the residents of Cape Girardeau County do not have the legal background to deal with all the nuances of this situation.

But common sense -- not just outrage and a deep sense of personal loss -- should be a factor as well. There are highly trained legal minds -- juvenile judges, prosecutors, juvenile caseworkers -- across the nation who are beginning to speak out about the need for more public access to the inner workings of the juvenile system.

In this particular case, the community would be better served by openness than a shield against information about a case with this degree of public impact.