correct, once your past age 16, the courts have no use for boys.....period. past age 18 you have to break some serious laws to ever get the time of a real judge. in a major city it takes a decent lawyer 2 years to get in front of a real judge with a real hearing. for 2 years it is all garbage forcing the lawyers to cut deals and never waste the time of a real judge.
and, you never tell a judge your mentally ill, unless you hurt someone or your self and yes, that minor judge is going to say go on mental drugs instead of going to jail if the offense was minor in nature.