Seventeen-year-olds shouldn't be tried in adult court

Two teenage girls, 16 and 17, are walking out of a convenience store when the security guard stops them. Like many young people, they’ve made a bad decision -- to shoplift a few candy bars and a copy of Cosmo. The 16-year-old will be given a juvenile court date and released to her parents. Unfortunately for the 17-year-old, she lives in Georgia. Georgia is one of only three states that prosecutes all teenagers as adults when charged with crimes after their 17th birthday. The 17-year-old will be arrested, handcuffed, taken to jail, and required to post a bond and appear in adult court. She also will have an arrest on her record for the rest of her life.

As district attorney of DeKalb County, I saw this scenario over and over. I am encouraged to see that a bipartisan majority of Georgia state representatives passed HB 272, which would raise the age of juvenile court jurisdiction so that 17-year-olds who do not pose a risk to public safety would no longer be automatically treated as adults.