# H.R. 5140 (119th): This bill lowers the age at which an individual may be tried as an adult for certain criminal offenses in the District of Columbia (DC) to 14 years of age

This bill lowers the age at which an individual may be tried as an adult for certain criminal offenses in the District of Columbia (DC) to 14 years of age. Under current DC law, an individual who is under 18 years of age is tried as a juvenile in family court. However, an individual who is 16 years of age or older may be tried as an adult if the individual is charged with murder, first-degree sexual abuse, burglary in the first degree, robbery while armed, or assault with intent to commit any such offense. Additionally, an individual who is 15 years of age or older may be tried as an adult if the individual is alleged to have committed a felony and it is determined that (1) it is in the interest of the public welfare to try the individual as an adult, and (2) there are no reasonable prospects for the individual's rehabilitation. The bill lowers the minimum age to be tried as an adult in these cases to 14 years of age.

## How this bill is scored

Tier: no Tier 1 record. A bill with no record cannot newly become Tier 1.
Lane: abuse_accountability. Category: justice_truth. Lane tag: general equity.
Lane: child_welfare. Category: not stored. Lane tag: not stored.
Lane: criminal_justice. Category: not stored. Lane tag: not stored.
Lane: criminal_offenses. Category: not stored. Lane tag: not stored.
Lane: family_policy. Category: children. Lane tag: command.
Lane: juvenile_justice. Category: not stored. Lane tag: not stored.
Lane: public_safety. Category: not stored. Lane tag: not stored.
Tier 1 sign-off: no record. A bill with no record cannot newly become Tier 1.
Stored polarity: mixed. Only tags the rules mark scoreable on a mixed bill are scored. A yea can draw a penalty or a credit according to the tag. A nay on a tag scored as good can draw a penalty.
Roll 271: On Passage. Vote type: final_passage.
Polarity rationale: Reviewed enrichment (llm_import) polarity: The bill does not directly advance sexual corruption, abortion, or another named moral evil, and it does not plainly defend the vulnerable. It combines a legitimate public-safety and victim-justice aim with a real concern about subjecting 14-year-olds to adult criminal processes. This is a prudential dispute about juvenile justice with serious child-welfare implications.
Theological note: The bill raises questions of general equity in how a society balances public safety, justice for victims, and the duty to protect and rehabilitate children. Scripture gives weight to both justice for the wronged and mercy toward the young and vulnerable, so the issue is one of prudential judgment about how to apply these concerns to serious juvenile offenses, not a direct endorsement or prohibition of an evil act.

## Recorded votes

Roll 271: On Passage. Yea 225 · Nay 203 · Other 4.

HTML: https://justmeasure.org/bill/hr-5140-119/