Proposition 21

This ballot measure was passed with 62 percent of the vote in March 2000 and allows juveniles as young as 14 to be tried as adults for certain crimes at the discretion of the district attorney’s office, not the presiding judge.

• Crime Victims United of California supports the measure, arguing that the criminal justice system has put criminals’ rights ahead of victims’ rights.

• The League of Women Voters in California opposed the measure. Read the group’s analysis here.

• The Sentencing Project offers information about criminal justice policies and works to reform them.

• Read the MacArthur Foundation’s study, which was released in March 2003. This research indicates that minors under 16 being tried as adults may not understand the legal complexities well enough to aid in their own defense.

• The Web site www.smartvoter.org compiled a comprehensive clearinghouse page on Prop. 21 with arguments for and against. It’s archived now, but available here.

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