Should Congress allow 14-year-olds to be tried as adults in D.C.?
H.R. 5140 would allow minors as young as 14 years old to be tried as adults for certain crimes in Washington, D.C. Currently, D.C. laws do not permit juvenile offenders younger than 15 to be prosecuted as adults in most cases. However, H.R. 5140 drops this minimum age to 14 years old.
Sponsor: Rep. Brandon Gill (Republican, Texas, District 26)
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Opponents say
• "I continue to support a bipartisan solution to address the needs of children in the federal legal system. Protecting children who are victims of sexual crimes is essential, and recognizing and enforcing age-appropriate options for sentencing is a must. While I am a firm believer in the justice system, Congress must work to ensure there are more appropriate options in the sentencing of juveniles and empower judges with sentencing discretion based on the child’s circumstances" Source: Rep. Bruce Westerman (Republican, Arkansas, District 4)
• "Lowering the age of eligibility for youth to be tried as adults for certain violent offenses
from 16 to 14 will harm public safety. Youth charged as if they are adults are more likely
to reoffend than youth processed in the juvenile courts. Youth in the adult system are more
likely to commit future offenses and particularly more likely to commit the most violent
offenses when compared with peers in the juvenile system." Source: Kara Gotsch, Executive Director at The Sentencing Project, in a letter of opposition written on the organization’s behalf
• "We also are committed in the juvenile system to treat kids like kids and that we give kids what the law requires, which is a chance of rehabilitation and going on to live lives of success and independence. Kids are different than adults and our job as the attorney general of the city is to keep the city safe, but also make sure we stay true to our obligation to young people." Source: Brian Schwalb, D.C. Attorney General
Proponents say
• "Crime in Washington, D.C., is totally out of control. Local “youths” and gang members, some only 14, 15, and 16-years-old, are randomly attacking, mugging, maiming, and shooting innocent Citizens, at the same time knowing that they will be almost immediately released. They are not afraid of Law Enforcement because they know nothing ever happens to them, but it’s going to happen now! The Law in D.C. must be changed to prosecute these “minors” as adults, and lock them up for a long time, starting at age 14. The most recent victim was beaten mercilessly by local thugs. Washington, D.C., must be safe, clean, and beautiful for all Americans and, importantly, for the World to see. If D.C. doesn’t get its act together, and quickly, we will have no choice but to take Federal control of the City, and run this City how it should be run, and put criminals on notice that they’re not going to get away with it anymore. Perhaps it should have been done a long time ago, then this incredible young man, and so many others, would not have had to go through the horrors of Violent Crime. If this continues, I am going to exert my powers, and FEDERALIZE this City. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!" Source: Donald Trump, President of the United States, in a post on TruthSocial
• "I know evil when I see it, no matter the age – and the violence in DC committed by young people belongs in criminal court, not family court. We’re not dealing with kids who need a pat on the back – we’re dealing with a wave of brutal violence that demands a serious response. While others debate causes, families are burying loved ones, and the only way to stop this is to treat violent offenders like the criminals they are." Source: Jeanine Pirro, US attorney for the District of Columbia, in a statement to CNN
• "The District of Columbia has seen a staggering increase in juvenile crime since the pandemic. According to MPD, 51.8% of all robbery arrests in 2024 were juveniles and 53% of all carjacking arrests in 2025, as of August, were juveniles. Violent crime refers to murder, first degree sexual abuse, burglary in the first-degree, and robbery while armed, for example. When juveniles commit crimes of this magnitude, they deserve sentencing that reflects the seriousness of the crimes committed." Source: Rep. James Comer (Republican, Kentucky, District 1), chair of the House Oversight Committee and lead official of the impeachment inquiry
- Age Matrix (Interstate Commission for Juveniles)
- Why Youth Incarceration Fails: An Updated Review of the Evidence (The Sentencing Project)
- Should Juveniles Be Charged as Adults in the Criminal Justice System? (American Bar Association)
- The Controversial Debate of Trying Juveniles as Adults in the Criminal Justice System (John D. Rogers Law)
- Rep. Brandon Gill’s Largest Donors (OpenSecrets)
