Skip to content

Massachusetts Legal Resources

Massachusetts Legal Resources & News

Menu
  • Massachusetts Legal News
  • Sample Page
Menu

Should Massachusetts Prosecute 17-Year-Olds as Adults?

Posted on May 25, 2013

The John Adams Courthouse in Boston is home to the Mass. Supreme Judicial Court.

Massachusetts is currently one of only 11 states that tries 17-year-olds as adults. A bill passed this week by the state’s House of Representatives would make these teenagers juvenile defenders, according to a report by 7News Boston. That will put the commonwealth in line with most other states, where adult court is reserved for individuals 18 and older.

The bill still allows the state to try 17-year-olds as adults in serious cases, like murders. But proponents hope the change will reduce cases of rape in the state’s prison system by keeping younger inmates away from older, stronger convicts. 

What do you think? Are we getting too soft on younger defendants? Or is this a justified, compassionate change to protect teenagers? Tell us your thoughts in the comments below.

South End Patch

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recent Posts

  • COMMONWEALTH vs. MICHAEL NOGUERA
  • COMMONWEALTH vs. MICHAEL NOGUERA – Summary
  • COMMONWEALTH vs. BYRON PALMER.
  • Commonwealth v. Palmer (AC 24-P-365) COMMONWEALTH vs. BYRON PALMER – SUMMARY
  • Hello world!

Recent Comments

  1. เว็บดูหนังออนไลน์ฟรี 24 ชั่วโมง on Commonwealth v. Johnston (Lawyers Weekly No. 10-063-14)
  2. pin up aviator predictor on Russell Block Associates v. Board of Assessors of Worcester (Lawyers Weekly No. 11-145-15)
  3. เว็บดูหนังออนไลน์ฟรี 24 ชั่วโมง on South End Crime Down Over First 4 Months in 2013
  4. https://pin-upotzyvy.kz/ on Mass. To Install High Speed, Cashless Toll System
  5. pin up отзывы казахстан on Is West Nile Virus Coming to the South End?
©2025 Massachusetts Legal Resources | Design: Newspaperly WordPress Theme

Powered by
...
►
Necessary cookies enable essential site features like secure log-ins and consent preference adjustments. They do not store personal data.
None
►
Functional cookies support features like content sharing on social media, collecting feedback, and enabling third-party tools.
None
►
Analytical cookies track visitor interactions, providing insights on metrics like visitor count, bounce rate, and traffic sources.
None
►
Advertisement cookies deliver personalized ads based on your previous visits and analyze the effectiveness of ad campaigns.
None
►
Unclassified cookies are cookies that we are in the process of classifying, together with the providers of individual cookies.
None
Powered by