THANK YOU to everyone who attended last week’s Crime Commission meeting!
Here is a quick summary of what happened:
Unfortunately, the Crime Commission did not endorse Sen. Edwards’ bill, which would let youths appeal the prosecutor’s decision to try them in Circuit Court (adult court). We supported that bill.
The Crime Commission also chose to endorse a bill that would increase the number of youth who can be tried as adults both automatically and by the Commonwealth’s Attorney’s decision. We opposed that bill.
The one bright spot is that the Crime Commission endorsed allowing Circuit Court judges to give youth a juvenile adjudication instead of an adult felony conviction — after they have met the conditions of their sentence.
What’s next:
The Crime Commission’s actions aren’t the final word! These recommendations will likely be introduced as bills in the 2011 General Assembly, which convenes in January. We’ll keep you up to date on the bills as they make their way through the legislature and will likely call on you to give your input to policymakers.
Stay tuned!
