Juvenile Crime

A Wake County Superior Court judge ruled Wednesday morning that Austin Thompson, the suspect in the Oct. 2022 mass shooting in northeast Raleigh, should be tried as an adult.

Alan and Elise Thompson issued the statement Tuesday through a lawyer that acknowledged the pain caused by their son, Austin. They say they mourn for the five killed, including another son, James, who was among those slain.

The Raleigh police department says there will be a public visitation and funeral service for Officer Gabriel Torres, who was killed in last week's mass shooting. The visitation is Friday and the funeral will be on Saturday in Raleigh.

Under state law, cases involving juveniles charged with felonies may be transferred to superior court but different sentencing schemes may apply

The Democratic majority held the prevailing opinions Friday in a pair of cases involving youths who committed murder, rape, or both. It agreed that sentences that required the offenders to serve 45 or 50 years before a possible release were the equivalents of having no chance at all and are thus constitutional.

Durham County Commissioners say a new youth detention center will give better care for juveniles in Durham County. But many in the community are skeptical.

The North Carolina legislature agreed on Tuesday that only children 8 and older can be prosecuted in the state's juvenile courts — up from the current age of 6.

A new paper from Duke University concludes that North Carolina should end the sentence of life without parole for juvenile offenders. “Juvenile Life…

A new paper from Duke University concludes that North Carolina should end the sentence of life without parole for juvenile offenders. “Juvenile Life…

In 2012 the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that a mandatory life sentence without parole for juvenile offenders is unconstitutional. Last year, the court said…