Community Corner

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.

By Bret Silverberg

State lawmakers have approved a bill that designates 17-year-olds as juveniles in court.

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

Find out what's happening in Charlestownwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

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.

His statement said 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.

Find out what's happening in Charlestownwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

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.


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

More from Charlestown