North Carolina Adult charges haunt teenagers for years State is only one in the country that charges all 16- and 17-year-olds as adults

By Drew Brooks The Fayetteville Observer FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. (AP) -- B.J. Rice was 16 years old when he was arrested for breaking and entering in December 2008. Charged as an adult, Rice faced the possibility of more than a decade in prison for the felony and related crimes, but was able to put his life back in order with the help of local nonprofits. But Rice's story isn't the same for other teens charged with a crime in North Carolina. According to the organizers of a forum at Fayetteville State University, teens who are charged as adults in the state are less likely to receive the help they need. That's because in North Carolina, all 16- and 17-year-olds are charged in the adult justice system. North Carolina is the only state without a law in place that puts an end to that practice, according to Action for Children, one of the organizers of a forum that advocated for raising the age of adult prosecution to 18. Rice attended the forum along with his mother, Melissa Robinson, and many of the volunteers and workers that made his turnaround possible. Once a troubled youth, Rice, 18, is now praised as a role model and hopes to one day help steer teens like himself down the right path. "I was just around the wrong group of people," Rice said of his arrest. "I was following instead of leading." Rice attributes his turnaround to Cumberland County CommuniCare and its programs, including a leadership development program known as Teens Making a Change, or T-MAC for short. CommuniCare also sponsored the forum, along with the Cumberland County Juvenile Crime Prevention Council and FSU. The forum included presentations from Chief District Court Judge Elizabeth Keever, state Rep. Rick Glazier, Action for Children's Brandy Bynum and FSU arts and sciences Dean David Barlow. Barlow said the current policy of handling 16- and 17-year-olds as adults is counter-productive. While the juvenile system works to change behavior and provide resources for teens, the adult system has no such programs in many cases. He said the majority of teen offenders were charged with misdemeanors or nonviolent felonies and that, even under the proposed changes, those charged with violent crimes such as murder would still be tried as adults. ---------- System's disparity Keever highlighted the disparity the system causes by telling the story of two teens charged with shoplifting. One of the defendants, a 15-year-old, was prosecuted in the juvenile system and received the help needed to stay on track and graduate. The other defendant, a 16-year-old, also stayed on track but was prosecuted in the adult system. The difference, Keever said, is that while the 15-year-old's crime would not show up on records searches, the 16-year-old could be held back from employment, educational opportunities and military service because of the criminal charge, no matter what she did afterwards. Glazier said the current policy puts North Carolina teens at a disadvantage because in any other state, a 16-year-old would be prosecuted in the juvenile system. The holdup, he said, is funding concerns. Despite studies that show eventual cost savings, raising the age of juvenile prosecution would have start-up costs. Organizers pushed for those in attendance to advocate on behalf of the change, which they said could be made incrementally in an attempt to temper some of the costs associated. Fayetteville Police Chief Tom Bergamine, who attended the forum, said law enforcement supports the change, but only if it is fully funded by the legislature. Published: Thu, Feb 24, 2011