We are asking Senate President Ferguson and Delegate Clippinger to support (respectively) Senate Bill 093 and House Bill 096 this session. This legislation would end the practice of automatically charging youth as adults for 33 offenses. Please read below about why this matters. If you sign this letter, we will share only your name, neighborhood, and zip code with these two legislators.
Christina Pham Linhoff (South Baltimore, 21230), John Ford (Canton, 21224), Lindsay Keipper (Canton, 21224), Holly Powell (Fells Point, 21231), Liz Simon-Higgs (Riverside, 21230)
Dear Senate President Ferguson / Delegate Clippinger,
Maryland sends more young people to adult court based on offense type, per capita, than any other state except for Alabama. In 2021, Maryland sent more kids to adult court than California, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, and Arizona combined.
And more than 80% of the youth charged as adults in Maryland are youth of color.
Youth are not 'mini adults.' They are children with brains that are still developing. Yet, current Maryland law requires kids as young as 14 to be automatically charged in adult court for 33 offenses.
Senate Bill 93 / House Bill 96 will keep our communities safer. Studies indicate that youth charged in adult court are roughly 33% more likely to be rearrested -- for more serious offenses -- compared to youth who have their cases heard in juvenile court for the same charges.
Senate Bill 93 / House Bill 96 will result in better outcomes over time for young people by starting their cases in the juvenile system, which has smaller caseloads, greater access to rehabilitation, and closer collaboration with families and schools.
Senate Bill 93 / House Bill 96 gives prosecutors and judges full discretion. This bill does not stop children from being prosecuted in adult court. It only requires that all children have their cases start in juvenile court. Prosecutors will still have the option to ask a judge to transfer a case to adult court. After a hearing, the judge will make the determination as to whether the case merits adult charges. Currently, 87% of juvenile cases in Maryland that start in adult court are sent back to juvenile court or dismissed; meanwhile, these youths charged as adults wait in jail with no access to education or other services. This is expensive and inefficient, and yields worse outcomes for children and communities.
As your constituent, I ask that you do everything in your power to shepherd this bill through your chamber / committee, to support its passage in your chamber, and to educate your colleagues about how out-of-step Maryland is with other states on this matter.
