Bill > H4151

This bill amends the South Carolina Juvenile Justice Code to change the definition of "child" or "juvenile" by creating exceptions for minors who commit certain violent crimes. Specifically, it clarifies that a seventeen-year-old charged with a serious felony, including Class A, B, C, or D felonies, or felonies with a maximum imprisonment of fifteen years or more, or certain drug offenses, or who has a prior felony adjudication or conviction, will no longer be automatically considered a juvenile for those charges, though a prosecutor can still choose to handle the case in family court. Similarly, a sixteen-year-old charged with a felony carrying a thirty-year or more sentence, first-degree burglary, or attempted murder will also have their juvenile status removed for those offenses, with the possibility of being tried as an adult, though the circuit court can also decide to keep the case in family court after a hearing. The bill also modifies provisions related to when a child aged fourteen, fifteen, or sixteen can be bound over for adult criminal proceedings for specific offenses or for repeat serious offenses.