Juvenile justice drives debate in race for Hennepin County Attorney

Whether under the stage lights of PBS’s “Almanac,” crammed into small debate venues or knocking on the front doors of homes across Minneapolis and its suburbs, Hennepin County Attorney candidates Cedrick Frazier and Anders Folk invariably face questions about juvenile justice. Could a recent shooting outside of an Eden Prairie High School football game have been prevented with earlier intervention? What does justice look like for a teenager with mental health concerns accused of an armed carjacking? “Juveniles and especially juveniles committing very serious offenses aren t being held sufficiently accountable,” Folk said on “Almanac” in late September. He placed blame largely on the policies of outgoing Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty. Frazier, the DFL-endorsed candidate in the race whose platform aligns more closely with Moriarty, acknowledges that some youth are committing serious crimes. But on the campaign trail, he has focused more explicitly on pathways for “the