Within this seemingly harsh context, New York's 'Youthful Offender Statute' provides a means to mitigate the negative consequences of a criminal conviction for 'deserving' youth. A youthful offender finding sets aside a criminal conviction, results in lighter penalties, and yields other civil and legal advantages. This paper explores the influence of race/ethnicity, sex, and the age of offenders on the likelihood of a youthful offender finding and on the sentences received by adolescents so adjudicated compared to those receiving adult criminal convictions. Net of certain legal and contextual factors, the analysis reveals racial, ethnic, gender, and age disparities in the disposition of older adolescents in the New York Courts. The patterns of bias vary, however, by where the disposition occurs and the type of decision under consideration. (Author abstract)