06-05-2025
Juvenile crime amendment rejected by Louisiana voters could still become law
CADDO PARISH, La. (KTAL/KMSS)—In March, Louisiana voters rejected an amendment that would allow fifteen-year-olds to be prosecuted as adults. However, the voters' will was not enough to stop the Louisiana Legislature from advancing a bill that would do precisely what was overwhelmingly voted against.
Caddo Parish District Attorney James Stewart, Sr., highlighted Senate Bill 74, authored by Senator Alan Seabaugh of Caddo Parish, in his monthly newsletter and expressed his opinion that the legislation ignores the hard work done by prosecutors, judges, and others at Caddo Juvenile Services.
If passed, the bill would prosecute felony offenses committed by juveniles 15 and over in district court. Juvenile felony offenses committed by youth under 15 or misdemeanor offenses would still be presided over by juvenile courts. Under current law, district attorneys have jurisdiction over which offenders should be transferred to adult court and which the juvenile system believes can be restored, which is the stated purpose of the juvenile justice system.
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'The bill deletes our Caddo Parish Juvenile Court as having exclusive jurisdiction of juvenile matters. This legislation, if passed, authored with no explanation by the filer, a local legislator, is the effective beginning of the end of our Caddo Parish Juvenile Court,' Stewart said in a statement.
Stewart highlighted the Parish's long history of 'strong and effective juvenile court in Caddo Parish.' In his writing, the district attorney highlights that the cases he transfers to adult court for adult prosecution are not done so because he is dissatisfied with juvenile court judges, but because the juvenile defendant committed crimes for which the maximum juvenile sentence to age 21 is insufficient.
Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry's administration has been echoing 'tough on crime' since his inauguration last January. His first official act as governor was convening a special legislative session devoted to crime. During that time, legislators expanded the list of felonies that a juvenile case would be automatically transferred to adult court; they also lowered the age of adult prosecution to 17. Mandatory life sentences for second-degree murder and elimination of parole and suspension of sentence for many felonies also passed during the special session.
So, to say Louisiana is 'soft on crime' makes little sense to anyone paying attention. DA Stewart's concern is the unintended consequences including increased cost of expanding the cases heard in district court.
What will happen if more juvenile offenders are referred to district courts?
'We are often advised by the Office of Juvenile Justice that we are the state leader in incarcerated juveniles. But to apply this proposed law in any form affects the entire state and Caddo Parish in a bad way,' Stewart said. 'A DA's transfer of a 15 or 16-year-old's felony case from a juvenile court judge to an adult court judge, such as for felony theft for stealing an iPhone, would jam up the already crowded adult system.'
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He said Caddo juvenile courts saw 610 felony cases in 2023 and 501 in 2024 and anticipates 'enormous pressure' on any DA from victims and the public to try all juveniles before adult court judges, which they may perceive as tougher on crime, if SB74 passes.
Although Seabaugh represents Caddo Parish, and Stewart heads the Caddo prosecutors' office, the DA said the senator did not speak with him or the parish's juvenile or district court judges before drafting or introducing the legislation.
'I continue to propose that legislators concerned about juvenile crime focus their efforts not on who is the judge, but on establishing programs for youth in at-risk communities, providing effective life-changing curriculum for troubled youth while in state custody, and programs providing post-incarceration supervision, mentorship, job skills, and support for crime-free living.'
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The change would affect district attorneys' offices and put additional strain on public defenders, courts, and sheriff's offices across the state.
The bill awaits a Senate Finance Committee hearing before advancing to the full Senate.
An interview request was made through Senator Seabaugh's office, but no response was received when this story was published.
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