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Lawmakers debate whether alleged crimes in custody cases belong in criminal court or family court
Summary
HB1687 would bar family-division judges from making criminal determinations and emphasize criminal adjudication in district/superior courts; testimony and judicial counsel clarified there are existing jurisdictional lines but acknowledged practical overlaps and concerns about evidence standards in family hearings.
Representative David Love presented HB1687 to make explicit that criminal determinations, judgments and penalties belong in criminal court rather than being decided in family-division proceedings. He framed the bill as a response to cases where alleged criminal acts in family disputes — including assault or child abuse — are effectively handled in family hearings without the procedural protections of criminal court.
The hearing generated extensive debate.…
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