Which of the following describes waiver eligibility to adult court?

• A. 16 years old with any offense
• B. 13 years old with any felony
• C. 14 years old with a serious felony or gang-related felony, or 15 years old and delinquent
• D. 12 years old with minor misdeeds

Answer: (C)

Waiver to adult court happens only under specific age and offense conditions. In Wisconsin, a 14-year-old can be waived for a serious felony or a gang-related felony, and a 15-year-old who is delinquent can be waived. These criteria are the situations where transferring a case to the adult system is allowed, reflecting the goal of addressing particularly serious or persistent youth offenses in a more adultized setting.

The other scenarios don’t meet those criteria: a 16-year-old isn’t automatically eligible for waiver for any offense, a 13-year-old with any felony isn’t eligible, and a 12-year-old with minor misdeeds isn’t eligible.