On Wednesday, legislators filed a bill that would halt the prosecution of 16- and 17-year-olds in North Carolina as adults.

The potential changes mean that cases in which 16- and 17-year-olds are charged with misdemeanors and non-violent felonies would be sent to the juvenile court system. The Superior Court would reserve the right to move a case to adult court if deemed necessary.

Teenagers who commit greater felonies, such as murder, rape and kidnapping, would still be tried as adults if the new bill passed.

Supporters of the legislation argue that these changes would prevent an immature mistake in one’s youth from having lifelong repercussions. Others skeptical of the bill, however, view it as softening the consequences of criminal activity.

In a situation such as this, it’s important to look at it in context. North Carolina is only one of two states that prosecute 16- and 17-year-olds as adult no matter what. There’s a reason for this: most feel it is not logical to saddle an adult conviction on someone who has yet to breach the threshold of adulthood.

On the other side, however, this particular age group may not be considered legal adults by most standards, but teenagers are certainly capable of knowing right from wrong and realizing consequences.

So, how does one balance these sides? One solution may be to remand all misdemeanors to juvenile courts, as the bill proposes, but keep all felony charges in adult court. Violent felonies will already be sent to adult court, but under this solution, so will non-violent felonies, such as theft, arson of personal property and drug- or alcohol-related crimes.

Non-violent felonies should hold a weightier consequence than that of misdemeanors. Yes, teenagers might have to shoulder an adult conviction on their record, but in the cases of theft and drug abuse, they should’ve known better.