Public Defense

So much resistance to change

By Gideon

Cops really don’t like change, do they? One of the more noteworthy bills the legislature passed this past session was the one re-classifying 16 and 17 year olds as juveniles, as opposed to “youthful offenders”.

Why does this bother the cops? Because it means they won’t be able to talk to these teens without a parent or guardian present.

[West Hartford Police chief] Strillaci said that the law would cause juvenile courts to see a 60 percent increase in cases, and that police wouldn’t be about to question the teens without a parent or guardian, and that they wouldn’t be able to detain a 16-or 17-year-old.

He said it would prove costly for local police departments that would have to build special cells for the teens and hire more staff.

Note the contradiction there? “They wouldn’t be able to detain the teen”, but “they would have to build special cells and hire more staff”.

You can’t see it, but I’m rolling my eyes right now. Oh boy. Now they can’t get confessions from confused, immature teens. Tragedy.

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Full post as published by A Public Defender on April 30, 2008 (boomark / email).