Youthful Offender Adjudication Rates Across NY
February 25, 2026 · 5 min read
New York's Youthful Offender (YO) status allows eligible defendants aged 16–18 to have their conviction replaced with a sealed adjudication. We analyzed DCJS data to see how often YO adjudication is granted across counties and charge types.
YO Adjudication by County
| Rank | County | YO Adjudications | YO Rate | Total Cases |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Queens | 332 | 0.2% | 174,749 |
| 2 | Bronx | 286 | 0.2% | 136,264 |
| 3 | Kings | 247 | 0.1% | 211,680 |
| 4 | Nassau | 244 | 0.4% | 73,406 |
| 5 | New York | 241 | 0.1% | 178,683 |
| 6 | Erie | 230 | 0.5% | 46,381 |
| 7 | Suffolk | 227 | 0.4% | 74,073 |
| 8 | Monroe | 157 | 0.5% | 35,087 |
| 9 | Westchester | 138 | 0.4% | 40,967 |
| 10 | Onondaga | 134 | 0.6% | 29,389 |
| 11 | Oneida | 66 | 0.5% | 16,787 |
| 12 | Niagara | 63 | 0.4% | 17,168 |
| 13 | Richmond | 63 | 0.2% | 34,320 |
| 14 | Broome | 53 | 0.5% | 13,834 |
| 15 | Steuben | 49 | 1.1% | 5,525 |
| 16 | Chautauqua | 48 | 0.4% | 13,008 |
| 17 | Orange | 47 | 0.3% | 18,311 |
| 18 | Chemung | 41 | 0.7% | 7,332 |
| 19 | Schenectady | 41 | 0.4% | 11,793 |
| 20 | Albany | 37 | 0.3% | 16,534 |
| 21 | Dutchess | 34 | 0.5% | 8,218 |
| 22 | Rensselaer | 32 | 0.5% | 8,027 |
| 23 | Cayuga | 31 | 0.7% | 4,754 |
| 24 | Jefferson | 31 | 0.5% | 6,400 |
| 25 | Ontario | 29 | 0.8% | 3,882 |
| 26 | Montgomery | 26 | 0.9% | 3,611 |
| 27 | Clinton | 24 | 0.7% | 4,110 |
| 28 | Fulton | 24 | 0.8% | 3,519 |
| 29 | Rockland | 24 | 0.6% | 4,492 |
| 30 | Cattaraugus | 23 | 0.5% | 5,613 |
Top Charges Receiving YO Adjudication
| Charge | YO Adjudications |
|---|---|
| Weapons Offense | 630 |
| Robbery | 549 |
| Assault | 386 |
| Burglary | 209 |
| Sex Offense | 198 |
| Grand Larceny | 198 |
| Theft of Services | 140 |
| Drug Sale | 113 |
| DWI / DUI | 109 |
| Criminal Contempt | 63 |
| Petit Larceny | 60 |
| Drug Possession | 58 |
| Reckless Endangerment | 46 |
| Menacing | 43 |
| Homicide | 43 |
Key Findings
- YO adjudication rates vary significantly by county, reflecting different judicial approaches.
- Assault and robbery charges are among the most common offenses receiving YO status.
- YO adjudication seals the record, which can be critical for young defendants' futures.
Source: New York DCJS Pretrial Release Data (2019–2024). YO adjudication is tracked as a separate disposition category. Counties with fewer than 5 YO adjudications are excluded. These are aggregate statistics and do not predict individual outcomes.
Data source: New York DCJS Pretrial Release Data. Last updated March 2026. — NewYorkCourtFile.com
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