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Charts on Transferring Youth to Criminal Court

Minimum Age and Offenses for Which a Juvenile Can Be Transferred to Criminal Court in Every State
(Updated transfer laws through 1999)
State Minimum Transfer Age Any Criminal Offense Certain Felonies Capital Crimes Murder
Certain Offenses
Person Offenses Property Offenses Drug
Offenses		 Weapon Offenses

Alabama

14

14

16

16

      

16

  

Alaska

NS

NS

      

NS

16

    

Arizona

NS

  

NS

  

15

15

      

Arkansas

14

  

14

14

14

14

    

14

California

14

16

16

  

14

14

14

14

  

Colorado

12

  

12

  

12

12

14

  

14

Connecticut

14

  

14

14

14

        

Delaware

NS

NS/14

15

  

NS

NS

16

16

  

Dist. of Columbia

NS

16

15

  

15

15

15

  

NS

Florida

NS

NS

  

NS

14

NS

14

  

14

Georgia

NS

15

  

NS

13

13

15

    

Hawaii

NS

  

14

  

NS

        

Idaho

NS

14

NS

  

NS

NS

NS

NS

  

Illinois

13

13

15

  

13

15

  

15

15

Indiana

NS

14

NS

  

10

16

  

16

16

Iowa

14

14

16

        

16

16

Kansas

10

10

14

    

14

  

14

14

Kentucky

14

  

14

14

          

Louisiana

14

      

14

14

15

15

  

Maine

NS

  

NS

  

NS

        

Maryland

NS

15

  

NS

16

16

    

16

Massachusetts

14

  

14

  

14

14

    

14

Michigan

14

14

14

  

14

14

14

14

  

Minnesota

14

  

14

  

16

        

Mississippi

13

13

13

13

          

Missouri

12

  

12

            

Montana

12

      

12

12

16

16

16

Nebraska

NS

16

NS

            

Nevada

NS

NS

14

  

NS

14

    

14

New Hampshire

13

  

15

  

13

13

  

15

  

New Jersey

14

14

    

14

14

14

14

14

New Mexico

15

      

15

        

New York

13

      

13

14

14

    

North Carolina

13

  

13

13

          

North Dakota

14

16

14

  

14

14

  

14

  

Ohio

14

14

14

  

14

16

16

    

Oklahoma

NS

  

NS

  

13

15

15

16

15

Oregon

NS

  

15

  

NS

NS

15

    

Pennsylvania

NS

  

14

  

NS

15

      

Rhode Island

NS

  

16

NS

17

17

      

South Carolina

NS

16

14

  

NS

NS

  

14

14

South Dakota

NS

  

NS

            

Tennessee

NS

16

  

NS

NS

        

Texas

14

  

14

        

14

  

Utah

14

  

14

  

16

16

16

  

16

Vermont

10

16

    

10

10

10

    

Virginia

14

  

14

  

14

14

      

Washington

NS

NS

    

16

16

16

    

West Virginia

NS

  

NS

  

NS

NS

NS

NS

  

Wisconsin

NS

15

14

  

10

NS

14

14

  

Wyoming

13

13

14

            

Note: Ages in minimum age column may not apply to all offense restrictions but represent the youngest possible age at which a juvenile may be judicially waived to criminal court. *"NS’ indicates "none specified."

Source: Adapted from Griffin,P., Torbet, P., and Szymanski, L. 1998. Trying Juveniles as Adults in Criminal Court: An Analysis of State Transfer Provisions. Washington, DC: US. Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention.

STATE TRANSFER PROVISIONS
(Updated transfer laws through 1999)
State Judicial Waiver:
Judge Decides Whether to Transfer Juvenile to Adult Court		 Statutory Exclusion:
Mandatory Transfer to Adult Court for Certain Offenses		 Direct File:
Prosecutor Decides in which Court the Juvenile will be Tried
Total States: 46 28 15
Alabama  
Alaska  
Arizona
Arkansas  
California    
Colorado  
Connecticut      
Delaware  
Dist. of Columbia  
Florida
Georgia
Hawaii    
Idaho  
Illinois  
Indiana  
Iowa  
Kansas    
Kentucky    
Louisiana
Maine    
Maryland  
Massachusetts  
Michigan  
Minnesota  
Mississippi  
Missouri    
Montana
Nebraska    
Nevada  
New Hampshire    
New Jersey    
New Mexico    
New York    
North Carolina    
North Dakota    
Ohio    
Oklahoma
Oregon  
Pennsylvania  
Rhode Island    
South Carolina  
South Dakota  
Tennessee    
Texas    
Utah  
Vermont
Virginia  
Washington  
West Virginia    
Wisconsin  
Wyoming  

Source: Adapted from Griffin, P., Torbet, P., and Szymanski, L.1998.Trying Juveniles as Adults in Criminal Court: An Analysis of State Transfer Provisions.Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention.




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