Task Force weighs setting minimum age for juvenile court jurisdiction

Dr. Ann Lagges, a pediatrician at IU School of Medicine27s Riley Outpatient Clinic, told the task force that developmental research supports separating children and adolescents and warned that "Children under 12 are at high risk of not being found competent due to developmental immaturity." The Child and Adolescent Development subcommittee has been drafting proposals to set a minimum age of juvenile court jurisdiction and asked the task force for consensus on advancing the idea to the Commission on Improving the Status of Children in Indiana (CISC) for possible legislative action.