S 2125Criminal Procedure

Delinquent and Dependent Children - Proceedings in Family Court

Removes the mandatory requirement to try juveniles as adults solely because they have two prior serious offenses after age 16.

Introduced38 Yea0 Nay0 Not voting

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Introduced Jan 16, 2026Committee Senate Judiciary

Plain-English Summary

This legislation amends the laws governing Family Court proceedings, specifically regarding the process of certifying a juvenile to be tried as an adult. It removes a provision that previously mandated that any person sixteen years or older, who had been found delinquent for two prior serious offenses, must automatically be certified as an adult. By striking this language, the bill eliminates the "two strikes" mandatory transfer rule. Instead, the decision to transfer a juvenile to adult court will rely on the court's discretion based on evidence, the nature of the offense, and rehabilitation potential, rather than an automatic trigger.

For younger readers

There are special courts for children and regular courts for adults. Sometimes, if a teenager breaks the law in a serious way, they are sent to the adult court. Before, there was a rule saying that if a teenager 16 or older had been in serious trouble twice before, they automatically had to go to the adult court for any new serious crimes. This bill gets rid of that rule. Now, the judge will decide if the teenager should go to adult court based on the specific situation, rather than it happening automatically just because of what happened in the past.

Who & Where It Applies

Impacted groups

Juvenile offendersFamily Court judgesAttorney General's officeVictims of crimeFamilies of juvenile offenders

Impacted communities

All

Constitutional & Fiscal Check

None Likely

Estimated cost

Amount unknown

Estimated revenue

None

Bill Analysis

Both viewpoints

For Progressives

Restores judicial discretion and individualized justice by eliminating mandatory minimums for transferring youth to adult court, ensuring judges can consider the unique circumstances and rehabilitation potential of each child.
Aligns with evidence-based practices regarding adolescent brain development by keeping more youth in the juvenile justice system, where the focus is on treatment and rehabilitation rather than the punitive nature of adult prisons.
Helps dismantle the school-to-prison pipeline by preventing the automatic criminalization of troubled youth, a practice that disproportionately affects minority communities and low-income families.
The bill preserves the ability of the Attorney General to move for certification, meaning youth can still be subjected to the adult criminal justice system based on prosecutorial discretion rather than a complete ban on trying children as adults.
Does not address the underlying systemic issues or lack of resources that lead juveniles to commit repeat offenses, potentially leaving them in a Family Court system that may still lack adequate support structures.
Fails to implement retroactive relief for individuals who were previously certified as adults under the mandatory provision that is now being repealed.

For Conservatives

Restores the authority of the judiciary to make determinations based on evidence rather than legislative mandates, upholding the separation of powers and judicial independence.
Ensures that the specific facts of a case are weighed through a proper hearing process, strengthening due process protections against arbitrary government action.
Allows for a more efficient allocation of correctional resources by ensuring that only those deemed truly irredeemable by a judge, rather than by a blanket statute, are sent to adult facilities.
Removes a critical tool for ensuring that repeat violent juvenile offenders face strict adult consequences, essentially being "soft on crime" for dangerous teenagers who have already proven to be habitual offenders.
Undermines public safety by potentially allowing older teenagers with a history of serious delinquency to remain in the juvenile system, where detention periods are often shorter and less secure than adult prison.
Eliminates a clear deterrent against repeat offenses, sending a message that the legal system will continue to show leniency even to those who have disregarded the law multiple times.

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Full Bill Text

Changes to existing Rhode Island law · 1 addition · 5 deletions

SECTION 1. Section 14-1-7.2 of the General Laws in Chapter 14-1 entitled "Proceedings in Family Court" is hereby amended to read as follows: 14-1-7.2. Certification — Proof.

(a) Upon a motion by the attorney general pursuant to § 14-1-7, the court shall conduct a hearing at which it shall be the duty of the attorney general to produce evidence to enable the court to determine:

(1) Probable cause exists to believe that the offense charged has been committed and that the child charged has committed it;

(2) The child’s past history of offenses, history of treatment, or the heinous or premeditated nature of the offense is such that the court finds that the interests of society or the protection of the public necessitate the certification; and

(3) The jurisdiction of the court but for the exercise of certification is in all likelihood an insufficient period of time in which to accomplish a rehabilitation of the child.

(b) If the court finds that subdivisions (a)(1) — (a)(3) of this section have been proven by a preponderance of evidence, it shall certify the child pursuant to § 14-1-7.3.

(c) ~~Any person sixteen (16) years of age or older who has been found delinquent for having~~ ~~committed two (2) offenses after the age of sixteen (16), which would render that person subject to~~ ~~an indictment if he or she were an adult, shall be certified pursuant to this section. Any findings for~~ ~~offenses which have occurred prior to April 11, 1990, shall be considered in making a determination~~ ~~of eligibility for certification.~~ Nothing in this section shall be construed to prohibit a waiver of jurisdiction of any child pursuant to § 14-1-7.1.

SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon passage.