As they crafted the 1962 act that created the Family Court, legislators discussed but could not reach agreement on whether to raise the age at which youths could be tried for crimes as adults.

The lawmakers left the dividing line between juvenile delinquency and adult crime at 16, where it had stood since the late 19th century. But a legislative committee stressed that the decision was “tentative and subject to change” and urged that studies be done to reach a more permanent consensus.