Will 12-year-old homicide suspect's case go to juvenile court? Milwaukee County judge to hear arguments.

The family of a 12-year-old Milwaukee boy charged with homicide could know soon if the case against him will be waived into juvenile court.

Milwaukee County Juvenile Court Judge Jane Carroll is expected to hear two days of oral arguments, beginning Monday, to decide whether to waive the 2022 case involving the then-10-year-old boy accused of killing his mother into the juvenile system.

Monday's hearing is scheduled for 9:30 a.m. to noon. Tuesday's hearing is scheduled for 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. It's not clear how long Carroll will take to render her decision after hearing arguments.

What is Wisconsin's law about juvenile defendants?

State law allows for children as young as 10 to be charged as adults for certain serious crimes, at least to start the case. Those crimes include first-degree intentional homicide, first-degree reckless homicide and attempted first-degree intentional homicide.

Lesser charges, such as attempted first-degree reckless homicide or attempted second-degree intentional homicide, start in juvenile court.

Wisconsin is one of only three states that require all 17-year-old criminal defendants to be charged as adults.

Boy is accused of shooting his mother. Here's what we know about the case.

Prosecutors initially charged the boy in November 2022 with first-degree reckless homicide in connection with the shooting death of his 44-year-old mother in Milwaukee. They upgraded it to first-degree intentional homicide in early 2023. The boy is in custody, court records show.

The Journal Sentinel is not naming him or his mother because of the boy’s age.

According to court records, the boy told police he was upset at his mother for not buying him something on Amazon and for waking him up early one morning. Prosecutors allege he retrieved his mother’s gun from a lockbox, using his mother’s key, and shot her.

Local religious groups have pushed for the boy's case to be adjudicated in juvenile court. Some juvenile justice advocates want Gov. Tony Evers and other state officials to bring Wisconsin's juvenile laws more in line with those of most other states.

This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Will 12-year-old Milwaukee murder suspect's case go to juvenile court?