A 16 year old who committed any crime before October 1, 2018, or a 17 or 18 year old who commits any crime is treated as an adult. A 16 year old who commits any felony on or after October 1, 2018 may be treated as an adult. And, a 13, 14 or 15 year old who commits certain serious felonies may be treated as an adult. But, the judge can give a 14, 15, 16, 17 or 18 year old youthful offender (YO) status at Sentencing. Being a youthful offender gives a teen a chance to have no criminal record even for a felony.
For information about 16 year olds who commit a crime after September 30, 2018, visit: Adolescent Offenders.
In general, to be treated as a youthful offender, the youth must:
Youth accused of felonies or other serious violent offenses may not be given youthful offender status. It is up to the judge.
A youthful offender record is not a criminal record. It is automatically sealed and does not have to be reported on any applications for college or work as a criminal conviction. It does not disqualify the YO from holding public office, or public jobs.
The YO maximum sentence can be no more than four years in jail.
Look up case info. by name or index/docket number at eCourts.