Arizona Prosecutor Commissions Report That Argues Against Leniency for Teens Who Commit Crimes

Marsha Levick, chief legal officer of Juvenile Law Center, told The Appeal that her group is preparing to convene experts and lawyers to refute the report. She said the report “misses the mark” for a number of reasons, including its claim that U.S. laws don’t distinguish between adults ages 18-25 and older adults. In fact, she said, the drinking age and other laws, such as those allowing young adults to remain in foster care or on their parents’ health insurance, prove the opposite. 

“The law is going in the other direction,” Levick said. “Our laws are becoming more protective of this population.”