D.C. lowers age for adult prosecution to 14, removing juvenile protections

What it does

This bill lowers the age at which minors in Washington, D.C. can be tried as adults in criminal court from 15–16 years old to 14 years old. It amends D.C. law to exclude 14-year-olds from the Family Court system and allow them to be transferred to adult criminal proceedings for certain offenses, effective immediately for crimes committed after enactment.

Why we flagged it

The bill's sole operative function is to lower the age threshold for adult criminal prosecution in D.C., removing protections that previously applied to 14-year-olds and subjecting them to adult court jurisdiction and sentencing.

What the text implies

• Fourteen-year-olds convicted in adult court become eligible for adult sentences, including lengthy prison terms and life sentences in D.C., whereas the same conduct under prior law would have been handled in juvenile court with rehabilitation focus and confidentiality protections.
• Criminal records from adult convictions are permanent and public, affecting employment, housing, education, and voting eligibility for life—consequences that do not attach to juvenile adjudications.

The full analysis lists 4 implications of this text.

Who it affects

Ordinary citizens—particularly youth and families in D.C.—face expanded criminal liability and harsher consequences at a younger age. Fourteen-year-olds will now be subject to adult sentencing, loss of juvenile protections, and permanent criminal records, which research associates with worse long-term outcomes (recidivism, employment, housing barriers) than juvenile-system rehabilitation.