MCOLES State Licensing Practice Exam

At what age can a child be charged with a crime?

1. 8 years old

2. 10 years old

3. 12 years old

4. 14 years old

The correct answer is: 10 years old

In many jurisdictions, children under a specific age are generally considered incapable of committing crimes, a legal principle known as "doli incapax." This principle suggests that children lack the maturity to understand the consequences of their actions, hence they are often not held criminally responsible. In the context of the options given, the age of 10 is commonly recognized as the threshold in various legal systems where a child can be charged with a crime. At this age, a legal presumption may exist that the child has the capacity to understand wrongdoing and the legal implications of their actions. Laws can vary by state or country, but 10 years old frequently falls within the range where the courts begin to treat children as capable of criminal responsibility. You can see that other ages provided in the options either fall below or above the commonly accepted threshold for legal accountability in many jurisdictions. For example, an age below 10, such as 8 years old, is typically considered too young for criminal charges under most legal systems. Conversely, ages above 10 could suggest that a child has been charged, but they do not represent the age at which a child is first eligible to be charged with a crime.