Politics & Government

Lawmakers Approve Legislation to Try 17-Year-Olds as Juveniles

Massachusetts is one of 11 states in which 17-year-olds are automatically tried as adults.

Written By Bret Silverberg

State lawmakers approved a bill that would consider 17-year-olds juveniles in court.

Both the Massachusetts Senate and House of Representatives supported the legislation that would provide that 17-year-olds who’ve committed a crime will no longer be tried as an adult, according to a State House News service tweet.

Massachusetts is one of 11 states in which 17-year-olds are automatically tried as adults, according to a press statement from Middlesex County Sheriff Peter J. Koutoujian, who advocated for the change.

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His statement says youth prosecuted as adults are 34 percent more likely to reoffend than those placed in the juvenile justice system, according to Center for Disease Control and Prevention data.

Currently in Massachusetts, all 17-year-olds accused of a crime are automatically treated as adults, regardless of the circumstances or severity of the offense. Thirty-nine other states and the federal government use 18 as the age of adult criminal jurisdiction. In almost all other legal matters in Massachusetts 18-years-old is officially the age of adulthood.  It is the minimum age required for voting, entering into a contract, and serving on a jury.

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“This change is recognition of the fact that 17-year-old adolescents are NOT adults – they are still children and lack adult maturity, particularly with respect to their judgment and impulse control,” said Sen. Karen Spilka (D-Ashland), who represents Framingham.

Seventeen-year-olds would still be tried as adults for a charge of murder, according to the legislation, which now must be signed by Gov. Deval Patrick to become law.

“Our current system undermines public safety and reduces the likelihood of positive outcomes for the juveniles involved,” said Spilka.  “Massachusetts has a very competent juvenile court system that successfully partners with the department of youth services to give the children involved in court their best chance of a successful future.”





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