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Commissioners press DA on juvenile violent crime as youth home fills
Summary
Commissioners raised concerns about increasing severity of juvenile violent crime and limited youth home capacity; DA Deberry said juvenile court handles more serious cases and the office is conducting transfer hearings for several juveniles charged with murder.
Commissioners asked for clarification about juvenile violent crime trends after the youth home director reported increased severity and placements outside the county. Deberry said North Carolina juvenile practice has shifted (for example, changes in statutes on juvenile prostitution) and the juvenile docket now contains more serious youth cases; she said the county currently has several juveniles charged with murder and the office is pursuing transfer hearings to determine whether to try them in adult court.
"Everyone in our juvenile courts right now is someone who is accused of something very serious or violent," Deberry said, adding that juveniles charged with murder or serious assaults are being assessed for transfer to adult court. Commissioners requested trend data on juvenile ages, offense types, and outcomes to better understand capacity constraints and whether additional upstream investments in prevention are warranted.
