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Court says adults can be charged for earlier crimes

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — The Wisconsin Supreme Court has reaffirmed that criminal charges in adult court can be brought against defendants for activity that happened when they were juveniles.

The court on Friday unanimously affirmed a lower court’s ruling against a man who was 19-years-old when he was charged in adult court with a felony sexual assault for a crime he committed when he was between 9 and 12-years-old.

Shaun Sanders asked the Supreme Court to determine whether there’s a minimum age for criminal prosecution in Wisconsin.

The court on Friday affirmed lower court rulings and stuck with previous decisions in similar cases. It said the defendant’s age at the time he was charged, not his age at the time of the alleged criminal conduct, determines whether the case is in adult criminal court.

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