Michigan has been automatically sending ALL 17-year olds to adult court. That& #39;s soon over: MI finally raised the age until which teenagers can be treated as youth to 18.

But much more change is needed, and for one prosecutors are way too powerful. new: https://theappeal.org/politicalreport/michigan-raises-the-age-to-18-whats-next/">https://theappeal.org/political...

Since 2010, 10 states have passed laws raising the age to 18.

That leaves just 3 states that haven& #39;t done anything to stop prosecuting all 17-year olds as adults with no exceptions: Georgia, Texas, Wisconsin.

(And interestingly, one of main obstacles in TX is a Dem Senator.)

Marsy Mistrett of @justiceforyouth told me: "Since the juvenile courts established themselves as independent from adult courts..., this is the closest we’ve come to having a universal agreement that 18 should be the minimum age at which children should be criminally responsible."

And there& #39;s an added milestone! Michigan already had no statute providing for mandatory or automatic adult prosecution. So come 2021, no Michigander under 18 will be automatically excluded from youth justice system, whether due to age or another factor. https://theappeal.org/politicalreport/michigan-raises-the-age-to-18-whats-next/">https://theappeal.org/political...

Now, the major fight ahead: Michigan will still enable minors to be prosecuted as adults. (It just won’t require it.) In fact, state prosecutors enjoy wide discretion when it comes to charging children at least age 14 as adults, with no judicial oversight.

So what could Michigan do next?
—forbid treating youth as adults. Or at least below a certian age (see: CA 2018)
—end prosecutors& #39; hyper-broad "direct file" powers
—stop detaining minors in adult prisons
—stop incarcerating minors for status offenses
—why only 18?
(and more!)