Juveniles; trial as adult. (HB274)
Introduced By
Del. Josh Cole (D-Stafford) with support from co-patrons Del. Patrick Hope (D-Arlington), Del. Clinton Jenkins (D-Suffolk), and Del. Kaye Kory (D-Falls Church)
Progress
✓ |
Introduced |
✗ |
Passed Committee |
☐ |
Passed House |
☐ |
Passed Senate |
☐ |
Signed by Governor |
☐ |
Became Law |
Description
Juveniles; trial as adult. Increases from 14 years of age to 16 years of age the minimum age at which a juvenile can be tried as an adult in circuit court for a felony. Read the Bill »
Outcome
Bill Has Failed
History
| Date | Action |
|---|---|
| 12/30/2019 | Committee |
| 12/30/2019 | Prefiled and ordered printed; offered 01/08/20 20101557D |
| 12/30/2019 | Referred to Committee for Courts of Justice |
| 01/17/2020 | Assigned Courts sub: Criminal |
| 02/11/2020 | Left in Courts of Justice |
Comments
This bill is bad. People who committed murder using a gun should be banned from possessing one. And people who commit a premeditated murder should do more than a short stint in juvenile detention.
Yet this bill would let juveniles who kill someone possess or transport a gun, if they committed the murder at an age less than 16 -- that is, age 14 or 15. It would revise § 18.2-308.2 to raise the age from 14 to 16.
It would also keep juveniles from being tried as adults unless they were at least 16 when they committed a crime, even for murder. Right now, the age is 14, which makes sense for serious premeditated violent crimes. This bill would lift the age to 16, which means 14 or 15-year-olds could murder several of their classmates and avoid doing time in prison for it. That eliminates the deterrent against murder. If a killer is adult enough to plan and premeditate a deliberate first-degree murder, then the killer should face the consequences for that egregious crime, and spend at least 10 years in prison.