Why are so many of Colorados juveniles sent to adult prison — even for property crimes?
Colorado is only one of 15 states which has direct file, meaning that district attorneys have total discretion as to whether they will file a child in juvenile or adult court. There are no guidelines and no paper trail required of prosecutors to justify the reasoning behind their decisions. Some district attorneys adhere to rigorous self-imposed guidelines before charging a teen as an adult. Others dont. While prosecutors are quick to assert that they do not make decisions based on political rationale, think about it. Arent prosecutors forever saying that a jury should never solely rely on a defendants word without accompanying proof? Yet prosecutors expect legislators and the public to accept their assurance that these kids are properly filed in the adult court simply because they say so.
