New Reality for Juveniles Caught With Handguns: Adult Court

In Indiana, kids under the age of 18 are not allowed to carry handguns (except in certain supervised situations such as target shooting or hunting). Under a new Indiana law that goes into effect on July 1, 2026, a child aged 16 or 17 who is charged with a felony count of unlawfully carrying a handgun will not be tried as a juvenile. Instead, their case will be transferred to criminal court, and they will be tried as adults.

There is a considerable difference between juvenile court and adult criminal court. Juvenile cases are not considered crimes – instead, they’re called “delinquent acts.” And instead of being “sentenced” as adult offenders are, a juvenile case is resolved with a “disposition.” And those dispositions are almost never as serious as an adult sentence.

When a Child Charged as an Adult for Carrying a Handgun Can Return to Juvenile Court

There are some situations where a child charged with a felony count of unlawfully carrying a handgun can find their case transferred back to juvenile court. But they generally require the felony handgun charge, as well as any other charges for which a juvenile can be tried as an adult, to be dropped or dismissed. Then, if the juvenile pleads guilty to or is convicted of any of those other charges, the adult court has the option to “withhold judgment and transfer jurisdiction to the juvenile court.” The juvenile court can then resolve the case.

This kind of transfer is not automatic. The adult court needs to consider:

• Whether the juvenile system has “appropriate services available”
• Whether the juvenile is “amenable to rehabilitation”
• Whether the transfer is in the “best interests of the safety and welfare of the community”

While it can be challenging to convince prosecutors that they do not have a strong case against a 16 or 17 year old charged with a felony count of unlawfully carrying a handgun, it is sometimes possible to do so. This is where working with one of the experienced criminal defense attorneys from Razumich & Associates can help.

Razumich & Associates is Ready to Fight for Your Rights

At Razumich & Associates, we defend clients of all ages from all over Indiana against all types of criminal charges. Whether the charges are before a juvenile or adult court, we are ready to step up and fight for our client’s rights. We know the laws, procedures, and policies followed by courts, judges, and prosecutors all across Indiana.

To learn more about how Razumich & Associates is ready to go to bat for you, call us at 317-983-5333 or fill out our contact form. Let us schedule a free and confidential case evaluation so you can learn more about how we can help.