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Commissioners approve automatic appointment of counsel for most juvenile cases after presentation from county attorney and public defender
Summary
The Hall County Board voted 7-0 to make appointment of counsel automatic for juveniles charged with offenses other than traffic, following testimony from the public defender that early representation reduces repeat probation revocations and from the county attorney that budget impacts should be limited.
The Hall County Board of Commissioners voted unanimously to direct county court practice to make appointment of counsel automatic for juveniles charged with offenses other than traffic, a change intended to provide earlier legal help for minors and reduce repeat court appearances.
County Attorney (Mister Klein) opened the discussion by describing how some larger counties automatically appoint counsel to juveniles for both misdemeanors and felonies and asked the board whether Hall County should move to the same practice. "We're contemplating doing that here," he said, but noted the decision is a county policy choice rather than a statutory requirement.
Sydney Brown, a juvenile public…
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