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State police outline juvenile-law changes, provide arrest data
Summary
A state police detective summarized recent juvenile-law changes (noting that children under 10 cannot be charged) and presented two-year arrest data and procedural steps for youth reports and referrals to juvenile services or the state's attorney.
Detective Sergeant Ike Cameron of the state police told the committee that Maryland's juvenile laws have changed and that the county is adjusting how it handles young people accused of wrongdoing. "The juvenile laws have changed back in June 2022. They changed where children under the age of 10 years old cannot be charged with a crime," Cameron said, explaining age-based limits on charging and on questioning juveniles without counsel.
Cameron presented April 2023—April 2025 state police figures: "we had 23 juvenile criminal arrest, 15 traffic arrest, and and and 5 other," which he summarized as 49 juvenile arrests over the two-year span. He described the youth-report process (Form 53) used for many cases, noted that felony cases or repeat offenders are reviewed by the state's attorney, and said many lower-level matters stay with the Department of Juvenile Services for services rather than prosecution. Committee members asked follow-up questions about charging thresholds, facilities for very young children and how fatal or severe incidents are handled; Cameron and panelists said severe cases would still be reviewed by prosecutors and that children under 10 are generally not charged.
