Problem
You are a police officer who encounters several juveniles trying to steal a 12 pack of beer from some other juveniles, who have just bought the beer from a nearby liquor store. You break up the disturbance with the help of your partner and now must decide what to do. The group of juveniles who tried to steal the beer did not hurt the others in any way and were apparently just after the beer. Nonetheless, the other kids are angry and resentful. Both groups are obviously too young to legally drink alcohol. Both groups are known to be occasionally truant, but have no record and are not known drug users. Furthermore, the liquor store owner is known to sell both beer and hard alcohol to minors, although this is the first time you have caught juveniles right as they leave his store.
How do you handle the juveniles who tried to steal the beer? Do you charge them with attempted robbery, for possession of alcohol, for something else, for nothing? How do you handle the juveniles who just bought the beer? Do they have rights as victims? How do you handle the liquor store owner, who is the only one in his store at this time and who clearly was the one who sold them the beer? Which law enforcement approach do you think is best in this case: legalistic, watchman or service? Would you treat the three different groups differently in any way - for instance a watchman approach to the juveniles and a legalistic approach toward the liquor store owner? If so, how?