New York Governor Aims to Raise Age of Teens Tried as Adults

In his State of the State address this year, the Governor of New York announced his plan to put a commission onto the task of raising the age at which teens in the state are tried as adults for criminal offenses. Currently, New York is one of two states that tries teens as young as 16 as adults in adult courts. Reactions to the announcement included approval by the head of the District Attorneys Association in New York and an unenthusiastic response by Republican legislators.

The purpose of the commission would be to look in creating a plan to increase the age at which a teenager may be tried in adult court although nothing was mentioned by the Governor as to what that age would be. Those who approve the plan say that prosecuting 16 year-olds as adults puts them into a system that does not provide appropriate programs that would help these young people rehabilitate. Instead, many of them become hardened criminals who only move onto a rebounding path back into custody through repeat offenses.

A juvenile convicted of a crime in New York's juvenile justice system which involves serving time is sent to a juvenile corrections facility, not an adult prison. The juvenile justice system's purported purpose is to help these young offenders turn their lives around through rehabilitative programs instead of punishment.

Juvenile Crime Attorney in New York City

For parents of juveniles, nothing is scarier than having your child arrested and charged with a crime. Getting proper legal representation is a must if you wish to obtain the best possible outcome for your son or daughter, whether that involves the juvenile justice system or adult court. If you are in this situation in or around New York City, you have the option of bringing your child's case to the criminal justice firm of H. Benjamin Perez & Associates, P.C.

Help is available to you around the clock from this firm which offers aggressive and effective legal service defending clients of all types of criminal charges, from drunk driving to assault and battery, federal crimes, probations violations, juvenile crimes, and more. Due to the firm's outstanding level of legal ability and dedication, it has earned a 10 out of 10 "Superb" rating by the legal industry website Avvo.com as well as an Avvo Clients' Choice Award 2012 in Criminal Defense. The team includes a former Assistant District Attorney and a seasoned criminal trial litigator. Get the legal counsel you need after any arrest. Contact the firm to speak to an attorney about your case today.