Bill would permit limited transport of juveniles with certain adult co-defendants in same vehicle; sheriffs back measure, DHHS opposes

House Bill 4018, presented Jan. 30 to the Michigan House Judiciary Committee, would allow law enforcement officers, in specified circumstances, to transport a juvenile and an adult who were involved in the same criminal transaction in the same vehicle and deliver them to a secure facility where they are to be sight-and-sound separated as soon as practicable.

Representative Ben Mueller, sponsor of the bill, said the proposal responds to practical safety and staffing concerns, especially in rural areas where backup units can be far away. “You might pull someone over in the northern part of the county…you have a 17 year old that has a gun in the car and a 21 year old who’s drunk,” Mueller said, describing situations in which officers must separate juveniles from adults but lack immediate transport options.

Dan Fonas, deputy director of the Michigan Sheriffs Association,…