Plain English Breakdown
The official status indicates the bill passed both chambers, but no effective date is provided in the source material.
Changing Rules for Moving Teens from Juvenile Court
This law changes how much proof a judge needs to decide that a teenager cannot be rehabilitated in juvenile court and should move to adult criminal court.
What This Bill Does
- Changes the rule judges must use when deciding if a minor is not amenable to rehabilitation for transfer to adult court.
- Replaces the current 'clear and convincing evidence' standard with a lower 'preponderance of the evidence' standard.
Who It Names or Affects
- Minors aged 16 or older accused of felonies who are subject to transfer motions.
- Minors aged 14 or 15 accused of specified serious offenses who were not caught before juvenile court jurisdiction ended.
- Judges deciding on these transfers.
Terms To Know
- Preponderance of the evidence
- A standard where a fact is more likely true than not, meaning it has over a 50% chance of being correct.
- Clear and convincing evidence
- The higher proof level currently required to show a minor cannot be rehabilitated in juvenile court.
Limits and Unknowns
- The official text does not state when this law will officially take effect.
- The summary does not list the specific serious offenses that apply to minors aged 14 or 15.
- The document does not explain how judges should measure if a minor is 'amenable to rehabilitation'.