Juvenile Interrogation Reform (H 5227, S 404)

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. Unfortunately, this bill died in committee.