There is finally a glimmer of bipartisan support in the Florida Legislature for meaningful, though modest, juvenile justice reform. Lawmakers should not let that ember of hope die out. The fact that Florida leads the nation in charging children and young teens as adults is outrageous. Legislation currently under consideration could help push back when prosecutors overreach.
Last week, members of the House Criminal Justice Subcommittee unanimously supported a measure that would require that a judge first determine if prosecutors should charge a juvenile as an adult. If the judge says No, the youth’s case would return to the juvenile system.