Alabama Family Organization Lobbying for the Opening of Juvenile Courts in the Heart of Dixie!
Current lobbying for an Alabama law which would open juvenile courts and likely model the state’s juvenile court system after that in Oregon provides another great example of how juvenile courts are different from adult courts during criminal defense cases.
A story in The Birmingham News details how most child welfare cases are kept confidential by a series of federal and state laws which aim to protect victims from shame and to possibly help reunify families once cases are over. However, the Society of Advocates for Family Empowerment feels that these laws are being interpreted too openly and are thus calling for more oversight of Alabama juvenile courts.
Child advocates, foster parents and other members of the organization have recently enlisted the help of lawyer Brian Stewart-Magee to help draft a bill proposal on an Alabama open court law. State Senator Del Marsh has already agreed to look at the group’s proposal, according to The Birmingham News story.
What Prompted SAFE’s Desire to Open Alabama Juvenile Courts?
Members of this organization were described in the story as sharing a consensus that opening Alabama juvenile courts would be much more beneficial for juveniles and families than allowing more freedom with the current laws.
SAFE founder Beverly Gardner argued in the story that since families must trust the courts in juvenile cases, they should know what’s going on inside of them. She added that opening Alabama juvenile courts would allow people to better understand what rights juveniles have in the criminal process and alleviate concerns about something they don’t really know about.
SAFE members also pointed out several other benefits of opening Alabama juvenile courts. They say open Alabama juvenile courts could help a crowded, backed-up court system by making it harder to bring cases which lack much evidence. They further added that exposure to juvenile courts would help cultivate a public opinion on abuse and potentially act as a deterrent.
A Law Opening Alabama Juvenile Courts Could Be Based on Oregon’s Juvenile Court System
SAFE members have said that parts of their soon-to-be-drafted Alabama open court proposal may be modeled after Oregon law. The story detailed that judges may only close Oregon juvenile courts when there is overcrowding or another person interfering with the case. While Oregon juvenile court records do remain closed, the public can access other information, including the child’s name and birth date, the basis for the court’s decision, and the date, time and place of any proceeding involving a juvenile.
If the SAFE proposal were to eventually become a part of Alabama juvenile court law, the state would join Oregon and Florida with open juvenile proceedings. The story added that the Georgia Legislature is currently considering two bills which would open Georgia juvenile courts in child abuse and neglect and dependency cases.
When Is SAFE Expected to Draft Its Proposal for Open Alabama Juvenile Courts?
Gardner said that she hopes the group can have some workable Alabama open court juvenile legislation within the next couple of months. The story said that the group has also garnered support from the Alabama Family Rights Association, which helped lobby for the 2003 Alabama Parent-Child Relationship Protection Act making it harder to move children away from non-custodial parents in custody cases. Visit Total Lawyers for updates on this movement to open Alabama juvenile courts.
Ultimately, this desire to open Alabama juvenile courts is not only another example of how juvenile courts are different from adult courts but also a great reminder of the importance of having an experienced criminal defense lawyer in your corner. Juvenile proceedings are much different from adult criminal cases, and an experienced juvenile criminal defense lawyer can explain what rights juveniles have in the criminal process and answer any other questions you may have.