CA bill: Juveniles planning attacks may be tried as adults

(The Center Square) – A bill introduced this month in the California Legislature would add conspiracy to commit murder to the list of felonies for juvenile offenders. Under the legislation, youths ages 14 and 15 could be tried as an adult in criminal court. Current law allows juvenile court cases to be transferred to criminal court if the youths were alleged to have committed a felony while they were 16 or 17 years old. Fourteen- and 15-year-old minors alleged to have committed a serious offense can also be transferred from juvenile court to criminal court under current law. Assembly Bill 1968 adds conspiracy to commit murder to the list of serious offenses. Assemblymember James Gallagher, R-East Nicolaus, who introduced AB 1968, said the bill is an effort to curtail violent attacks planned by young offenders. An example is Tehama County in Northern California, where teenagers at a middle school planned a detailed school shooting. Authorities were tipped off to the planned attack by a