Man who inspired ‘Raise the Age’ pleads guilty to gun charge as trial was about to begin

The Albany man whose robbery conviction as a teenager helped spur the “Raise the Age” movement in Albany pleaded guilty to his latest crime on Monday.

Marquis Dixon, 27, admitted criminal possession of a weapon as his trial was about to begin. He was arrested on June 20, 2023, after police said he illegally possessed a gun in the area of ​​256 Clinton Avenue. Officers were responding to a report of an armed man at Orange and Dove streets. He reportedly fled from officers before they took him into custody.

The June arrest came a month after Dixon was released from prison. He has been in and out of prison since 2016. He was convicted of robbery at age 16.

Dixon was cited as an example of how the system failed young offenders. This case led lawmakers to raise the age at which teenagers were charged as adults.