Excuse: Infancy
Files
Description
The infancy defense, which dates back to the common law and is still recognized in some form or another in the vast majority of jurisdictions, bars the prosecution of children below a specified age (age seven at common law) and presumptively precludes prosecution of older minors (ages seven to fourteen at common law) in the adult criminal justice system (although, under modern statutes, children in the latter group are still eligible for prosecution in juvenile delinquency proceedings).
Source Publication
Encyclopedia of Crime & Justice
Source Editors/Authors
Joshua Dressler
Publication Date
2002
Edition
2
Volume Number
2: Delinquent & Criminal Subcultures—Juvenile Justice: Institution
Recommended Citation
Hertz, Randy, "Excuse: Infancy" (2002). Faculty Chapters. 1388.
https://gretchen.law.nyu.edu/fac-chapt/1388
