NORWICH – Last week police from different agencies arrested nearly 20 youths in unrelated crimes in the Chenango area. Their crimes ranged from consumption of alcohol to 2nd degree burglary and 3rd degree arson.

Generally, a person is considered a youthful offender if they are between the ages of 14 and 18. They generally cannot have a prior juvenile adjudication or felony conviction against them, and the crime committed can’t be a class A felony such as rape, murder or other severe felony. The statutes regarding youthful offenders are fairly complicated, and there is room for a number of exceptions; however, these are the general guidelines. An adjudication carries the same punishment as a regular conviction but is not recorded as a conviction on the youth’s record.

The Oxford Police Department, with the help of the county Sheriff’s Department, arrested eight Oxford youths, ranging from 16 to 18, last week for consumption of alcohol. Two of the youths were also arrested for unlawful possession of marijuana. Allegedly there was a party at a residence on Greene Street while the parent was out of town. Additional charges are pending because the youths were at the residence illegally, but the owner has not yet decided if they will pursue trespassing charges.