It’s only day one, and bills are already being heard and acted upon. So far, 4 bills have been introduced on the topic of juvenile transfer.
We support:
SB 822 (Edwards) would allow circuit court judges to review a prosecutor’s decision to certify cases to adult court — just as they can now review decisions of juvenile court judges.
SB 948 (Howell) would allow circuit court judges to give youth the opportunity to earn a juvenile delinquency adjudication upon successful completion of terms and conditions set by the judge.
We oppose:
SB 914 (McDougle) would expand the categories of automatic transfer and prosecutorial certification by adding second or subsequent acts of violence to the list of offenses that may be automatically transferred and by adding gang participation and second or subsequent drug offenses to the list of offenses that may be certified.
HB 1980 (Greason) would expand the categories of automatic transfer and prosecutorial certification by adding conspiracies and attempts to commit the violent juvenile felonies listed within each category.
Stay tuned! We will likely need your help in the next few days and weeks letting policymakers know about the costs and benefits of these bills to our youth and our communities.
Don't Throw Away The Key 