When Can a Child Be Charged as an Adult?

Under Colorado law, a juvenile is any person under 18 years of age. And if a juvenile commits a crime, he or she can either be charged as a juvenile or an adult depending on the circumstances.

In following with the Colorado Juvenile Code, the goal of charging a minor as a juvenile is basically to “preserve and strengthen family ties whenever possible.” This means that Colorado is committed to looking out for a child’s welfare and to provide care, [...]

Sexting: A Guide to Protecting Your Children

The law often lags far behind new technology—sometimes with disastrous results.

One huge example of this is the rise of sexting among teens. Until the law is modified, minors can find themselves facing child pornography charges for sharing explicit photos via mobile technology. And it’s not just criminal charges that teens face for sexting—under Colorado law, they could be forced to register as sex offenders.

The town of Cañon City, Colorado is learning this the hard way. Hundreds of students [...]

The Dangers of Juvenile Incarceration

While our nation’s youth crime rates have declined considerably in the last 20 years, the US continues to put more children and teenagers in juvenile detention centers than any other developed country. Our juvenile incarceration rate is seven times higher than Britain’s, and 18 times higher than France’s rate. Each year, we spend millions of taxpayer dollars keeping children and teens behind bars.

While these numbers are frightening on their own, it’s even more frightening to consider the effects of [...]