Luzerne County Judges

By Terrie Morgan-Besecker tmorgan@timesleader.com
Law & Order Reporter
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HARRISBURG – Juvenile justice officials who testified before a commission investigating failings within Luzerne County’s juvenile system made several suggestions for changes they believe will help ensure problems to do not reoccur here or elsewhere.

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The recommendations were presented during a hearing Thursday of the Interbranch Commission on Juvenile Justice.

Among the key suggestions:

• Increase transparency by opening all juvenile court hearings to the public, provided that anyone who attends the hearing be prohibited from identifying the juvenile or others involved in the case.

• Require juvenile court judges to state in open court their reasons for deciding the particular course of treatment chosen for a juvenile, whether that be placement in a treatment facility, probation or some other treatment.

• Ensure each county’s policy in determining whether a child qualifies for a public defender is based on the income of the child, not the parent. This will decrease the likelihood of any child appearing without an attorney.

• Require all juveniles to consult with an attorney before they are permitted to waive their right to counsel.

• Make modifications to speed up appellate court review of appeals of juvenile convictions. Currently the review takes so long that the juvenile typically has completed his or her treatment program before their appeal is decided.

• Support the creation of an assessment tool for use in determining when it is appropriate to detain children before their hearing on the crime they are accused of committing. The tool would weigh various risk factors, including the severity of the charges and the child’s prior record.