To surmount an infancy defense, the State must demonstrate beyond a reasonable doubt that despite the juvenile’s age, they had both the mental capacity and maturity to distinguish between right and wrong at the time of committing the act in question. This typically involves presenting psychological evaluations, witness testimony about the juvenile’s behavior, or other evidence that reflects a developed moral and cognitive understanding.
For example: If a twelve-year-old is accused of a crime, presenting school records and testimonies showing advanced moral reasoning or previous acknowledgements of wrongdoing by the juvenile might be used to rebut the infancy defense.