Legislation advancing at the state Capitol in Georgia aims to raise the age at which teens can be charged as adults from 17 to 18. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports that the House Juvenile Justice Committee approved the bill unanimously on Monday.
According to the newspaper, Georgia, Wisconsin and Texas are the only states that charge people over the age of 16 as adults. The bill moving forward in Georgia would allow the juvenile justice system to handle cases involving 17-year-olds accused of committing crimes. Those cases are now heard in superior court.