Pubdate: Thu, 17 May 2001
Source: State Journal-Register (IL)
Copyright: 2001 The State Journal-Register
Contact:  http://www.sj-r.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/425

JUVENILE CRIMES

The House approved legislation Wednesday that proponents claim will
reduce the number of juveniles automatically transferred to adult
court on drug charges, but that opponents contend ignores broader
issues of racial disparity in prosecution and the ramifications of a
felony conviction on a child's record.

House Bill 2087 would remove the automatic-transfer provision for
juveniles charged with possession with intent to distribute a
controlled substance within 1,000 feet of a school or public housing.
It also would add three new drug charges for which a juvenile could be
automatically transferred.

Rep. John Turner, R-Atlanta, who sponsored the measure, said removing
the crime of possession with intent to distribute drugs would reduce
by about half the amount of juveniles automatically transferred to the
adult courts.

Opponents said that adding new categories of crimes that constitute an
automatic transfer is not an improvement to a broken system.

"Something's wrong with a criminal justice system that treats
juveniles as adults when they're not, and when they're not
particularly bad dudes," said Rep. Barbara Flynn Currie, D-Chicago.

A recent report says Illinois' system of automatically transferring
15- and 16-year-olds to adult courts has produced an extreme level of
racial disparity.

Of the 259 youths transferred for a drug crime last year, all but one
were minorities.

HB2087, which passed 77-16 with 17 members voting "present," still
needs approval of the Senate and the governor before it can become
law. 
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MAP posted-by: Richard Lake