Md. Bills Signed Into Law Including Reforms on Automatically Charging Juveniles as Adults
The measure narrows automatic adult prosecutions for 16- and 17-year-olds and imposes fines of up to $1,500 for face-covering violations.
- Governor Wes Moore signed the Youth Charging Reform Act into law yesterday, ending a nearly fifteen-year stall in the General Assembly as part of 275 bills enacted.
- State data from 2025 revealed Maryland charged 303 youth as adults for gun crimes, with 77% of those charged being Black, while roughly 85 percent of automatic adult charges were ultimately dismissed or returned to juvenile court.
- Effective October 1, judges gain discretion over which court 16- and 17-year-olds face for firearm possession, sales, and first-degree assault, though murder and rape remain prosecutable in adult court for all juveniles.
- County State's Attorney Scott Shellenberger and Baltimore City State's Attorney Ivan Bates opposed the law, claiming it allows youth with guns a 'free pass,' while House Speaker Joseline Peña-Melnyk, D-District 21, championed it as giving young people 'second chances.'
- Baltimore City must hire 16 new employees including 11 assistant state's attorneys by October 1, while Maryland faces $2 million in federal funding losses over three years and must prepare juvenile facilities before adult detention of minors is prohibited in 2029.
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Maryland Gov. Wes Moore signs law to charge fewer juveniles as adults
Maryland Gov. Wes Moore signed into law the Youth Charging Reform Act, which ends the automatic charging of minors as adults for certain gun and assault offenses, even as state prosecutors said keeping those youths in adult court can address their criminal behavior.
The Governor of Maryland, Wes Moore, signed 275 laws in Annapolis yesterday during the final day of the 2026 legislative session. Among the most relevant to the Latino community are the Youth Charging Reform Act, which changes the way the state prosecutes minors accused of certain crimes, and several measures that reinforce the protection of immigrants from the actions of ICE. The ceremony brought together Senate President Bill Ferguson, and Hou…
Maryland Matters
The Southern Maryland ChronicleYouth is served: Youth charging, early childhood education bills among those signed into law
Before Tuesday's bill signing ceremony, Gov. Wes Moore (D) recognized Cristy Morrell, executive director of Critchlow Adkins Children's Centers in Talbot County, handing her a ceremonial pen. (Photo by Bryan P. Sears/Maryland Matters)It was a good day for young people in Annapolis on Tuesday. Gov. Wes Moore (D) signed bills into law that will make it harder to charge juveniles as adults, will expand funding for child care scholarships and will c…
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