Today, Assemblyman Ari Brown (R-Cedarhurst) joined a group of officials at a press conference in Albany calling to repeal “Raise the Age” legislation that prevents many serious criminal offenders, 16 and 17 years of age, from being prosecuted as adults. The group introduced new legislation that mandates any violent felony offense be maintained in the Youth Part of Criminal Court instead of family court. The group included state lawmakers and District Attorneys Shawn Smith and Karen Heggen from Delaware and Saratoga Counties, respectively.

“What we have now is violent felony and sexual offenses for 16- and 17-year-olds being prosecuted through family court, which yields more lenient sentencing and sealed records,” Brown said. “If we’re going to trust young people with the responsibility of a driver’s license, they should be treated like adults when it comes to committing violent acts against others in our community. Criminal syndicates and drug dealers know these laws well and often use teenagers to pedal their poison or conduct criminal acts – harboring them from prosecution and emboldening their criminal behavior.”

Under current laws, an individual 17 years of age could commit armed robbery, have their record sealed as a minor, and commit another violent felony offense at 18 years old only to have it treated as a first offense; and thus receive a more lenient sentence. According to Department of Criminal Justice Services (DCJS) Raise the Age statistics, in 2021, 83% of 16- and 17-year-old adolescent offenders charged with felonies were removed to family court or probation intake.