What is the minimum age at which a juvenile may be waived into adult court in Wisconsin, depending on the offense?

• A. 14
• B. 15
• C. 16
• D. 17

Answer: (B)

In Wisconsin, a juvenile can be moved to adult court through two main paths: direct file by the district attorney for certain serious offenses, or a discretionary waiver by the court. The key point is that the earliest age at which a waiver could occur is fifteen, but only for those offenses that qualify for direct file. That provision lets the DA file directly in adult court when the juvenile is at least fifteen years old.

For many other offenses, the court can only transfer jurisdiction through discretionary waiver, and that route requires the juvenile to be older—typically sixteen or, for some offenses, even older—before waiver is possible. So the minimum age depends on the offense: fifteen is possible if the offense qualifies for direct file, which is why fifteen is the correct answer in this context.