Thug who’s terrorized NYC since he was 14 still getting breaks thanks to Raise the Age Law

A 21-year-old criminal, Lloyd Francis, has been causing chaos on Staten Island for years, taking advantage of New York State’s Raise the Age Law to evade serious consequences for his actions. Despite being arrested multiple times for attempted murder, robbery, assault, and gun possession charges, Francis has only served about two years behind bars due to the leniency of juvenile justice statutes.

Francis, believed to be a member of the Town Savages Only gang, has managed to keep half of his arrests sealed from public scrutiny, further protecting him from the full extent of the law. It wasn’t until his sixth serious crime, a second attempted murder charge, that he was finally sentenced to 10 years in prison. However, this punishment was significantly lighter than the 25 years he could have faced if not considered a juvenile in his earlier cases.

The Raise the Age Law, implemented in 2017 and 2018, raised the age of criminal responsibility to 18 and allowed defendants up to 21 years old to be held in juvenile facilities. This law, combined with bail reform measures that prohibit judges from setting bail on most criminal cases, has created a system where young offenders like Francis can repeatedly evade accountability for their actions.

Francis has benefitted from these statutes since his first arrest at age 14 for attempted murder, where he served just over a year in detention. Despite subsequent charges, including felony gun possession, Francis has managed to plea down to lesser charges and avoid lengthy prison sentences. Even a conviction for a second attempted murder charge resulted in a reduced prison term due to legal technicalities.

The leniency of the system has not gone unnoticed, with law enforcement sources expressing frustration at the cycle of arrest, minimal punishment, and release that Francis and others like him seem to perpetuate. The lack of accountability and consequences has led to an increase in gun-related crimes among youth in New York City, as highlighted by NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch in a recent op-ed piece.

As Francis serves his 10-year sentence at Elmira Correctional Facility, questions remain about the effectiveness of juvenile justice laws in deterring repeat offenders like him. The debate over rehabilitation versus punishment continues, with the need for a balance between second chances and accountability for serious crimes becoming increasingly apparent.