Dozens of people turned out today to voice their opinions on a bill that would classify 17-year olds in the court system as juveniles rather than adults. NHPR's Trish Anderton reports.
MOST OF THE WITNESSES WHO PACKED THE SMALL SENATE HEARING ROOM WERE THERE TO TESTIFY IN FAVOR OF THE BILL. THEY ARGUED THAT BY TREATING 17-YEAR OLDS AS ADULTS, THE STATE HAS LEFT THEM IN A KIND OF NO-MAN?S LAND WHERE THEY DON?T QUALIFY FOR EITHER ADULT OR YOUTH SERVICES. DISTRICT COURT JUDGE EDWIN KELLY TOLD THE STORY OF A 17-YEAR OLD ALCOHOLIC HE?D RECENTLY SEEN IN HIS COURTROOM.
He was too old to be sent to youth devel center where there are services and he was too young for me to be able to send him to adult rehabilitation. So that 17 year old left the courtroom with no services. We are very figuratively throwing out the baby with the bathwater.
ADVOCATES SAY SOME 17-YEAR OLDS WHO ARE FORCED TO MOVE OUT OF STATE RESIDENTIAL PROGRAMS WIND UP HOMELESS, BECAUSE THEY?RE TOO YOUNG TO RENT AN APARTMENT OR EVEN STAY AT A HOMELESS SHELTER. THEY SAID THERE?S NO NEED TO TREAT ALL 17-YEAR OLDS AS HARDENED CRIMINALS, SINCE COURTS CAN CERTIFY TEENAGERS WHO COMMIT SERIOUS CRIMES AS ADULTS. BUT SOME LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICIALS DISAGREED. WILLIAM WRENN, CHIEF OF THE HAMPTON POLICE DEPARTMENT, TOLD THE COMMITTEE THE LOWER THRESHHOLD FOR ADULTHOOD HAS MADE IT EASIER FOR HIS DEPARTMENT TO DEAL WITH TEENAGE OFFENDERS.
The certification process is only going to be used for most serious crimes ? murders, attempted murders, serious rapes ? that?s when we seek out certification, and frankly we have found it very cumbersome.
NEW HAMPSHIRE LOWERED THE AGE OF ADULTHOOD FROM 18 TO 17 IN 1996, IN RESPONSE TO FEARS THAT DRUG DEALERS IN MASSACHUSETTS WERE SENDING YOUNG ACCOMPLICES OVER THE BORDER. SOME WITNESSES SAID THE MEASURE HAS REDUCED JUVENILE CRIME; BUT OTHERS ARGUED THE DROP IN CRIME WAS UNRELATED. HOUSE LAWMAKERS HAVE ALREADY APPROVED THE AGE INCREASE; AFTER IT EMERGES FROM COMMITTEE, THE BILL WILL FACE A VOTE IN THE FULL SENATE. FOR NHPR NEWS I?M
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