Senate Approves Juvenile Justice Bill

The Senate late Wednesday broke a logjam over how to clamp down on juvenile offenders, approving a measure to send the worst of them to adult courts and prisons.

The measure, HB3900, was amended to greatly soften a section that would have sent hundreds of 16- and 17-year-old juveniles every year into the adult system. It then passed the Senate 39-10.

In an agreement negotiated with the Republican House and Democratic Gov. Gary Locke, older teens would automatically be prosecuted as adults if they are accused of drive-by shootings, first-degree robbery and child rape, first-degree burglary with a previous conviction, and any crime in which the offender was armed with a firearm.

Before amendment, the measure would have automatically treated as adults 16- and 17-year-olds charged with lesser violent crimes such as assault and arson. Foes of the original bill said it was too harsh.