Mississippi to try armed minors in violent crimes as adults under new law

A new Mississippi law taking effect July 1 will require minors 13 and older who possess a firearm during an alleged violent crime to be tried as adults.

The law, Senate Bill 2710, was recommended by Attorney General Lynn Fitch and goes into effect on July 1 Fitch recommended the bill to lawmakers and called it a way to help reduce strain on the state’s troubled youth court system.

Ken Winter is executive director of the Mississippi Association of Chiefs of Police.
He said the bill addresses major issues law enforcement has pushed for.

“It’s only going to affect people who are involved in violent crimes, and it’s going to affect people who are passing firearms down to juveniles,” Winter said. “It’s going to hold those people accountable as well. So it’s a good law.”

When the bill was moving through the state legislature, it faced opposition from Democrats who raised concerns about how the bill may affect minors' rights. Some pointed out that the law does not require the firearm to be used during a violent crime for the law to apply; it only needs to be present.

Democratic Rep. Kabir Kareem heads the Legislative Black Caucus. He said about the upcoming law, “We have to do all we can to inform communities across the state, if you’re a parent, guardian, football coach, mentor, you have to be able to explain that decisions have life-changing consequences.”

Currently, a child can be tried as an adult only if a youth court judge transfers the case to Circuit Court. SB 2710 removes that referral step, allowing prosecutors to bypass youth court entirely.

Advocates for reducing gun violence have raised concerns about the new law. While they say holding youth accountable for violent actions is important, they argue it doesn’t address the core issues that cause minors to become involved.

Keisha Coleman, program administrator for the Office of Neighborhood Safety and Engagement, said she believes the best solution to youth gun violence is through prevention, not prosecution. “My stance is very strong on prevention. And I think prevention should be funded on the same level as enforcement,” she said.

While the law does not apply to children under 13, it does have provisions to hold their parents more accountable.