Lawmakers in the Georgia House voted Monday to raise the age limit to 17 for prosecuting young defendants in juvenile court.
House Bill 462 was approved on a vote of 145-22, sending it to the state Senate for further debate.
Georgia is one of just three states, along with Texas and Wisconsin, in which 17-year-olds accused of crimes are routinely charged as adults, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.
Read this story now for free
To continue reading, sign up for our newsletter and get unlimited access to WABE.org
You can select your preferences for news and local content. We will never share your email address. Learn how your newsletter sign-up will support WABE and Public Media
