SB165: Requires doctors to document abortions performed on underage girls.
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This bill will create new regulations for doctors who perform abortions on girls under 16 by requiring fetal tissue to be submitted to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation.
DJJ Announces Second Youth Detention Center Closing
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The Georgia Department of Juvenile Justice (DJJ) announced the closing of the second regional youth detention center (RYDC) in as many days. The 30-bed Blakely RYDC in Early County will close effective April 1. The decision to close the facilities came after the DJJ budget was cut by $5.4 million. DJJ Commissioner Amy Howell said the Griffin and Blakely RYDCs were chosen because of their proximity to other facilities and not performance. “The decision was more based on data and not operations,” said Howell. “The work at both of these facilities was outstanding.”
Last year, the DJJ said up to four facilities, Griffin, Blakely, Claxton and Gwinnett, could be closed. "I'm am totally flabbergasted by this news," said Captain Phillip Law of the Early County Sheriff's Department when reached at his office in Blakely. "We thought we had enough political pull to keep it open, but I guess we were wrong."
Witt Announces Editorial Staff Changes at JJIE.org
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Ellen Miller, the editorial director for the Juvenile Justice Information Exchange (JJIE.org), has left to take a job managing a 100-person, TV newsroom in Cleveland, Ohio. She will be replaced on an interim basis by John Fleming, editor at large for The Anniston (Ala) Star. An advertisement will be placed soon for a full-time replacement for Miller. Watch this site for "Communication Professional III." We are extremely proud of Miller's accomplishments with the JJIE.org.
Upcoming Cases in U.S. Supreme Court Could Alter How the Constitution Affects Kids
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The Unites States Supreme Court is set to hear a number of cases this month that look at how the Constitution applies to children. In each of the cases kids were questioned behind closed doors at their schools with no attorneys present and without being read their Miranda rights. In one of the cases an Oregon family is suing a case worker and deputy sheriff for “badgering” their 9-year old-daughter into accusing her father of molestation. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th District ruled that the girl’s questioning violated the Fourth Amendment’s ban on “unreasonable search and seizure,” according to a story in The Washington Post. Advocates say that the courts should treat children differently than adults.
DJJ Closes Griffin facility
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Georgia’s budget troubles surfaced today when the state’s Department of Juvenile Justice (DJJ) announced the closing of one of its youth detention centers, while its top official acknowledge that another shuttering would be announced in the coming days. The DJJ said the Griffin Regional Youth Detention Center (RYDC), a 30-bed facility south west of Atlanta, would be closed due to the department’s budget shortfall of $5.4 million. DJJ Commissioner Amy Howell later told the JJIE another facility would also be closed, but declined to say which one. "We will be announcing the closure of another facility in the coming days," said Howell. The DJJ runs 22 RYDC’s in the state, including the one in Griffin. Last year, the DJJ said up to four facilities, Griffin, Blakely, Claxton and Gwinnett, could be closed.
Law Professor Argues Against Prosecuting Minors for Prostitution
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In a new article, an assistant law professor at UNC School of Law argues that children involved in commercial sexual exploitation should not be charged with crimes. The article, “The Youngest Profession: Consent, Autonomy, and Prostituted Children,” to be published in the Washington University Law Review takes a critical look at laws that allow minors to be criminally prosecuted for prostitution. The full article is subscription only, but a detailed abstract is available here.
UPDATE: More Charges in Douglas County DUI Wreck That Killed Teen
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A fifth passenger has been identified and charged in the auto accident that killed a Douglas County, Ga., teen Feb. 19. Dustin Lee Willis, 21, has been charged with four counts of furnishing alcohol to minors and being party to a crime (vehicular homicide), according to the Douglas County Sentinel. Willis and the 17-year-old driver of the wrecked vehicle, Jason Lark, were also charged with evidence tampering after allegedly removing empty beer bottles from the vehicle. The passengers were travelling from a bonfire party at a home in Douglasville. The homeowner, Richard Todd McAllister, 42, was also charged with five counts of contributing to the delinquency of minors. Police say McAllister was at the party and aware that minors were consuming alcohol. Sixteen-year-old Cheyenne Sauls was killed in the accident that left two other teens injured. Sauls’ funeral was held Friday.
An Interview with Fulton County Juvenile Court Judge Phillip Jackson
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Associate Judge Jackson sat down with Martha Turner of the Juvenile Justice Fund recently to talk about CSEC (Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children), adoption and the rehabilitative efforts of the court. Jackson is a graduate of Georgia State University’s Law School. He has been on the bench since June, 2009. Judge Jackson, you are a native Atlantan, and you’ve been in the courts here for many years –
“Twenty years.”
In that time, in 20 years, do you think the legal system has gotten better or worse? “In some ways it’s gotten better, and in some ways it’s gotten worse.
Human Trafficking Bill Takes Next Step in State House
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A State House Committee approved a bill cracking down on human trafficking on Wednesday. The bill, HB 200, now moves to the House Rules Committee where members will decide whether to schedule a vote. The measure places a heavy emphasis on elimination of child prostitution and punishing pimps.
UPDATE: Funeral For Teen Killed in Auto Accident
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Funeral arrangements are being finalized for a teen killed in a weekend auto accident in Douglas County. Sixteen-year-old Cheyenne Sauls was killed and two other teens – Taylor Cross, 19 and Jamie McManis, 15, were injured on Friday night when the vehicle they were riding in crashed. The driver, Jason Lark, 17, has been charged with DUI and vehicular homicide along with several other traffic violations, according to the Georgia State Patrol. The GSP says a 21-year-old was also in the vehicle but left the scene before emergency vehicles arrived. The Douglas County Sentinel reports that police have located the fifth passenger, a male, but have not released any details about him or his involvement in the accident.