Infants

Infants. An infant is strictly one under 21 years of age, which is, generally speaking, the age of "legal capacity." In certain purposes, however, it is reached much earlier, for in criminal cases a person of the age of 14 years may be capitally punished, but under the age of 7 years he cannot. As to the intermediate period (that is, between these respective ages), there is much uncertainty, the accused being prima facie innocent. Yet if he could discern between right and wrong, he may be convicted and undergo execution, though he had not attained the age of puberty or discretion. A male at 12 years old may take the oath of allegiance, at 14 is so' far at years of discretion that he may enter into a binding contract of marriage, and at 21 he is at his own disposal, may alien his property, and generally perform all the duties and enjoy all the privileges of a citizen. A female is of maturity when 12 years old, and may therefore at that age enter into a binding contract of marriage, and at 21 may dispose of her property. The full age of 21 years is completed on the day preceding the anniversary of anyone's birth, and as the law allows no fraction of a day in computing time. it follows that if an infant is born on the 1st of January, he or she is of age to perform any legal act on the morning of the last day in December, though he or she may have lived nearly 48 hours or two days short of the 21 years.