SB346 Alabama 2015 Session

Summary

Primary Sponsor

Tom Whatley

Republican

Session

Regular Session 2015

Title

Youthful offenders, change threshold age, give judge discretion to consider past youthful offender status, to expunge record of, Secs. 15-19-1, 15-19-7 am'd.

Summary

The bill raises the age threshold for youthful offender status, allows judges to consider prior youthful offender status in new crimes, and requires expungement of youthful offender records.

What This Bill Does

It expands who can be treated as a youthful offender by increasing the age limit to under 23 (or under 25 if the person is a full-time student) for certain crimes. It lets a judge use discretion to consider a person’s earlier youthful offender status if they commit another crime. It also requires that the youthful offender record be expunged after completion of sentence and probation, with limited access rules for records and ongoing victim notification in certain cases.

Who It Affects

• Defendants who are under the new age thresholds (under 23, or under 25 if a full-time student) and charged with qualifying offenses; they may be treated as youthful offenders instead of being charged as adults.
• Victims in cases involving serious injury or death (they must receive 10 days’ notice before hearings), and the general handling of youthful offender records (prosecutors’ access is specified and records may be expunged after completion).

Key Provisions

• Change the threshold for youthful offender eligibility to under 23, or under 25 if the person was a full-time student, for certain crimes not disposed in juvenile court.
• Allow the court to use its discretion to determine whether the defendant should be arraigned as a youthful offender, and to proceed accordingly.
• Permit expungement of the youthful offender record after completion of sentence and probation (with specified access rules for records).
• In serious cases (involving serious physical injury or the victim’s death), require victim notice 10 days before hearings and require an evidentiary hearing on the crime’s facts before deciding youthful offender status.

AI-generated summary using openai/gpt-5-nano on Feb 24, 2026. May contain errors — refer to the official bill text for accuracy.

Subjects

Youthful Offenders