Democrats in Maryland are attempting to pass a law that would bar those under 25 from being charged with criminal murder.
The Youth Accountability and Safety Act, sponsored by Democrat Del. Charlotte Cruchfield, would make it impossible for someone who was under 25 when the crime was committed to be found guilty of first-degree murder under Maryland’s felony murder laws.
Youth Accountability and Safety Act
According to those clauses, murder is considered to have been committed in the first degree if it took place during the commission or attempted commission of a number of certain crimes, including rape, arson, robbery, burglary, carjacking, and other major felonies.
As per Crutchfield and the bill’s proponents, the brain does not fully develop until around the age of 25, making a punishment this severe unjust.
Republicans and law enforcement authorities instantly denounced the bill, claiming it would lead to an increase in crime. The legislation has drawn attention because its opponents claim that if it were to become law, the results may be disastrous.
According to former Martinsburg, West Virginia, police chief Maury Richards, there is currently “a criminal wave of violence going on. Yet we’re held up on whether 25-year-olds should be prosecuted with murder.”
Republicans’ opponents reply that Democrats only use their reasoning skills when it comes to criminal justice reform.
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Teen Aged 16 Can Vote In Maryland
At the moment, 16 and 17-year-olds in five cities in Maryland are able to cast ballots in municipal elections.
The Howard County Board of Education, which has eight members and one spot set aside for a student voted by their peers in grades six through 11, is another region of Maryland that is attempting to reduce the voting age. The typical age of sixth graders is 11 or 12.
Age has recently become a sensitive issue in Maryland when it comes to criminal justice reform. Vincent Schiraldi, the Juvenile Justice Service administrator chosen by Gov. Wes Moore, has stated that because the brain is not fully matured until the age of 21, no one under that age should be exposed to the legal system.
Now, the state House is debating the Youth Accountability and Safety Act. Fox News Digital has contacted Cruchfield for a response.
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