infancy; penalty recommendation; juvenile offenders

HB 2636 changes Arizona's juvenile justice process by clarifying when juveniles aged 13-17 can be tried as adults in criminal court. It specifies that prosecutors must charge juveniles as adults for serious offenses like murder, sexual assault, armed robbery, or if they are "chronic felony offenders" (with two prior felony adjudications). The bill adds a new "infancy" defense allowing juveniles aged 13+ to argue lack of maturity requires excusal from adult prosecution, but this does not apply to the listed serious offenses. It also explicitly states children under age 7 cannot be prosecuted as adults. The law aims to standardize transfer hearings and clarify jurisdiction for juvenile court versus criminal court.