To lower the age at which a minor may be tried as an adult for certain criminal offenses in the District of Columbia to 14 years of age.
This bill lowers the minimum age at which minors in Washington, D.C., can be prosecuted as adults from 16 down to 14 for certain serious offenses. It allows prosecutors to file charges against 14- and 15-year-olds directly in adult criminal court or ask a judge to transfer their cases out of the juvenile system. As a result, younger teenagers accused of major crimes would face adult legal proceedings and standard adult criminal penalties instead of juvenile rehabilitation.
What this bill touches.
Who it helps · who it burdens.
Who it burdens
- 14- and 15-year-olds charged with qualifying serious crimes in D.C.Faces automatic exclusion or discretionary transfer from D.C. Family Court to adult criminal court, exposing them to adult prosecution, adult criminal procedures, and adult penalties for offenses committed on or after enactment (Sec. 1(a), 1(b), 1(c)).
- D.C. Family CourtLoses jurisdiction over 14- and 15-year-olds charged with certain serious crimes, who are now automatically prosecuted as adults or made eligible for transfer to adult criminal court (Sec. 1(a), 1(b)).
- D.C. adult criminal court systemTakes on jurisdiction to try and sentence 14- and 15-year-olds charged with serious offenses who were previously processed in Family Court (Sec. 1(a), 1(b)).
The provisions, in plain language.
Lowers the minimum age from 16 to 14 at which a minor charged with certain serious crimes (such as murder or armed robbery) is automatically excluded from D.C. Family Court jurisdiction and charged as an adult, for offenses committed on or after enactment.
Lowers the minimum age from 15 (or 16, depending on the offense) down to 14 at which a minor may be transferred from Family Court to adult criminal court for prosecution, for offenses committed on or after enactment.