Today, Assemblyman Joseph Angelino (R,C-Norwich) joined Assembly Minority Leader Will Barclay (R,C-Pulaski), his Minority colleagues and several district attorneys at a press conference to call for the end of ‘Raise the Age.’ Under Raise the Age, people who commit felonies but are under the age of 18 are able to avoid justice by having their cases handled in family court. Only 9% of felony arrests in 2021 of 16- and 17-year-olds resulted in a felony conviction, in fact, there were only 114 sentences in excess of one year, even though there were nearly 2,000 people in this age group arrested in 2021 for violent felonies including murder, robbery, sex crimes and gun possession.

“I am proud to stand with my colleagues to call for the end of Raise the Age, it is a dangerous policy that allows criminals to get off scot-free for violent crimes. In fact, violent, well-established gangs are recruiting 16- and 17-year-olds to act as their enforcers on the street because they know these crimes will essentially go unpunished. This cannot be allowed to happen in New York,” said Angelino.

Angelino also recalled a horrific incident in his district where Raise the Age allowed violent youthful offenders to escape justice.

“There are real-world consequences to Raise the Age. In my district an incident occurred where 3 people ages 15,16 and 17, approached a man on the street who they knew was carrying marijuana. They attacked the man with violent force, resulting in the victim receiving a fractured skull and orbital socket, as well as damaging his retina. For this violent crime, two of the offenders were released to their parents and one was sent to a youth home. That is unacceptable and a perfect example of why this law must be fixed,” Angelino concluded