• Home
  • News
    • Politics / Govt
    • Legislature
    • Crime / Courts
    • Health / Medicine
    • Archives
  • Sports
    • Badgers
    • Packers
      • Titletown Report
    • Brewers
  • Contact Us
    • Reporters
  • Affiliates
    • Affiliate Support

Wisconsin Radio Network

Wisconsin News and Sports

You are here: Home / Crime / Courts / Lawmaker pushes for expanding juvenile courts

Lawmaker pushes for expanding juvenile courts

February 1, 2010 By Andrew Beckett

A proposal at the Capitol would allow 17-year-olds to again face charges in juvenile court.

Currently, 17-year-olds charged with a crime are tried in adult courts in Wisconsin. The move came about in the mid-1990s, after concerns were raised about the increasingly violent nature of some offenders and concerns that the juvenile system was not enough to protect the public.

However, state Representative Fred Kessler (D-Milwaukee) argues the move did more harm than good, since the adult prison system is not equipped to help rehabilitate young offenders. He says they would be better served in the juvenile corrections system, were counseling and classes are available to help prepare them for a return to society.

The Milwaukee Democrat is proposing legislation that would phase 17-year-olds back into the juvenile court system over a two year period, starting with misdemeanors and then felonies. Prosecutors could still call for serious and violent crimes to be tried in an adult court.

Kessler says the move would help those offenders get the treatment they need to avoid a life of crime in the future.

AUDIO: Andrew Beckett reports (1:07)

juviva020110

Share this:

  • Facebook
  • Twitter

Filed Under: Crime / Courts, Legislature



Featured Stories

Panthers rally to upset Wright State in Horizon League quarterfinals

Jokic leads Denver in rout of the Bucks

Can Packers make a splash in free agency? Aaron Jones?

Wisconsin was better but still falls short at Purdue

Assembly Republicans propose bills to prohibit transgender girls from girls’ sports

TwitterFacebook

Sports Headlines

Panthers rally to upset Wright State in Horizon League quarterfinals

Jokic leads Denver in rout of the Bucks

Can Packers make a splash in free agency? Aaron Jones?

Wisconsin was better but still falls short at Purdue

Marquette edges DePaul in Big East action

More Sports

Tweets by @WRN

Get our news delivered to your inbox:

Enter your email address:

Delivered by FeedBurner

Copyright © 2021 · Learfield News & Ag, LLC