Juvenile Interrogation (H 7188 & S 2370)

It’s no surprise that juveniles are generally less able than adults to understand, and act upon, their legal rights while being questioned, but law enforcement proceeds as if they are well-informed adults with a full grasp of the situation. This bill would have prohibited the questioning of a juvenile suspected of criminal activity without a parent or legal guardian present. A case recently handled by the ACLU, in which an 8-year-old girl was removed from a school bus, transported to the police, interrogated, and detained without her parents’ knowledge, encapsulates the need for this important legislation. While this bill passed the Senate, it unfortunately died in committee in the House.