The scene at a South Dallas apartment last month was shocking: a 14-year-old girl in bright pink pants, a blue top — and handcuffs — being hustled into a police car, after allegedly drowning a 2-month-old baby.

Today, the girl, who is not being named because of her age, wears a shapeless navy uniform and tan shower shoes. The honors student attends classes at the austere Henry Wade Juvenile Justice Center, where she sleeps on a thin mattress in a spartan cell.

And she waits.

Dallas County officials must eventually decide whether to treat her as a kid, a criminal or something in between. Prosecutors will ask a juvenile judge to transfer her to the adult system in a hearing where her attorney will argue to keep her in the juvenile system.

Despite a murder charge, the decision is not simple. The approach to young offenders has shifted dramatically over the last 25 years — and Texas lawmakers expect to make more changes in the next few months.

Read the rest of this article at The Dallas Morning News.