Youthful Offender Ct

In general, to be treated as a youthful offender, the youth must: Be least 14 and under 19 at the time the crime is committed.

When a person is under 21 years of age at the time they allegedly commit a criminal offense, Alabama law allows them to be treated by the Court as a Youthful Offender. What is Youthful Offender (YO) status and what does it mean for me if I qualify?

It focuses on adolescence and early adulthood, with a particular emphasis on juvenile delinquents ages 15-17 who are candidates for transitioning into the criminal justice system and young adults ages 18-24 who are already in the criminal justice system.

2d 559, 562 (1975). Therefore, an adjudication and grant of youthful offender status is not a conviction as that term is used in relation to Alabama criminal law.The Youthful Offender Act is intended to extricate persons below twenty-one years of age from the harshness of criminal prosecution and conviction.

As a general rule, a person can use youthful offender status only one time. Whether or not to grant youthful offender status is a decision which lies completely within the discretion of the trial court.

Youthful offender is a sentencing designation given to some defendants that are under the age of 21 and facing charges within the adult criminal justice system.In adult court, there are many advantages to a youthful offender sentence.

About the Youthful Offender StatusAlabama's program allows a defendant younger than 21 who is facing a criminal charge to seek youthful offender status. Being granted this status can mean that the individual receives a reduction in penalties. It can also sometimes result in a person not acquiring a criminal record.