Juvenile Justice Package Advances Immediately
A day after introduction of legislation creating a Department of Juvenile Corrections, a Senate committee has cleared the way for consideration of the rest of the state’s get-tough-ondelinquents package.
With little debate and no dissent, the Judiciary Committee on Wednesday introduced 10 more proposals recommended by the Legislature’s special interim committee on juvenile justice.
“Some of these may be controversial within the Legislature and should be scrutinized closely,” Chairman Denton Darrington, R-Declo, told his colleagues.
But he also pointed out that each had been strongly recommended by the interim committee, which conducted hearings statewide last summer and fall.
The House Judiciary Committee hearing on the new department legislation is tentatively set for Jan. 27 while Darrington plans hearings on his committee’s 10-bill package Jan. 30.
The campaign for a tougher state policy against juvenile crime was energized a year ago when James Robert “Bobby” Lee Moore, then 14, murdered a New Plymouth police officer.
Moore eventually pleaded guilty to first-degree murder and was sentenced to life in prison with no possibility of parole until he is 40.
He is serving his sentence in California.
The proposed Senate legislation would increase the damages parents of juvenile offenders are responsible for; allow judges to make parents pay detention costs; increase the number of crimes for which juveniles over 13 can be tried for as adults, and permit those under 14 to be tried as adults for major crimes at a judge’s discretion.
The measures also would increase the maximum detention under the juvenile law and require fingerprinting and photographs of all juveniles detained.
The final bill of the package repeals last year’s law that made possession of marijuana by a juvenile an adult offense.
Darrington said there was widespread public support to return that offense to the jurisdiction of the Youth Rehabilitation Act.
xxxx Legislative Log Introduced In Senate SCR104 (Education) Declares November 1995 Idaho Literacy Month. Introduced In House HCR6 (Business) Approves quality review rules adopted by the Idaho State Board of Accountancy. HJR6 (Stoicheff) Allows county, city, town, taxing district or other municipal corporation to collect nonproperty taxes with voter approval. HB98 (Judiciary, Rules and Administration) Creates Department of Juvenile Corrections. HB99 (Business) Provides that for purposes of the Idaho Real Estate Broker Law, a person includes a limited liability company. HB100 (Business) Provides for installation of electrical service equipment in or on a manufactured home if certain conditions are met. HB101 (Vandenberg, Miller, Alexander, Kjellander) Freezes property valuations for tax purposes for homes occupied by persons age 65 and older. HB102 (Revenue and Taxation) Allows certain governmental entities to sell bonds through negotiation. HB103 (Revenue and Taxation) Increases distribution of sales tax revenue to cities and counties.