Recently, New York State enacted legislation raising the age of automatic criminal responsibility from 16 to 18. Prior to the signing, New York was one of only two states that charged all youth as adults once they reached the age of 16. Despite the change in the law, children as young as 13 still may be charged as Juvenile Offenders (JOs) and youth ages 16 and 17 can be charged under a newly created category, Adolescent Offender (AO).

JOs and AOs may have their cases adjudicated in Supreme Court, Criminal Term as opposed to Family Court. In recognition of the special developmental needs of adolescents, the law formalized special treatment courts for youth under the age of 18 with the mandate of Youth Parts.

Our panelists will take a 360° view of Youth Part. The Honorable Craig S. Walker will provide an overview of Youth Part and present some preliminary outcomes. Ena Cadesca will present the resources available to young people, and Frederic Pratt Johanne Macajoux will provide the attorney's prospective.