After decades of debate, New York this week raised the age at which juveniles are automatically tried as adults, from 16 to 18. It was one of the last states in the country to make the shift — and it was hailed as a triumph.

“This is one of the strongest raise the age bills passed to date,” said Marcy Mistrett, C.E.O. of the Campaign for Youth Justice, a national advocacy group that fought for the change in New York and is still working on a similar bill in North Carolina, now the only remaining state where 16-year-olds are automatically tried in the adult system.

But there is some fine print. The law still pushes thousands of juveniles accused of felonies directly into adult court, drawing criticism from some lawmakers who think it did not go far enough.

[For more of this story, written by Eli Hager, go to https://www.themarshallproject...e-age-law#.7IaH6fUwg]