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Judiciary committee hears concerns about enforcement, custody and lack of facilities in bill raising age of delinquency jurisdiction
Summary
Witnesses told the Judiciary committee the bill to raise the juvenile age and delay parts of the reform needs clearer custody language and a placement plan for 18‑year‑olds, otherwise courts and prosecutors could face enforcement gaps starting April 1.
Members of the Judiciary committee heard testimony that a bill to raise the age of juvenile delinquency jurisdiction should be amended to clarify custody authority and to address the absence of secure placements for 18‑year‑olds.
Tim (first name only), who spoke to the committee as a stakeholder with prior involvement in related working groups, told members “we need to avoid chaos on April 1” for practitioners, children, law enforcement, state’s attorneys and judges and urged either moving the bill quickly or moving the delay provision into language that can be advanced promptly.
Why it matters: committee members and witnesses said the bill as drafted raises practical enforcement problems. Several witnesses — including Tucker Jones of the Vermont Department of Public Safety — said Vermont currently lacks…
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