New Youth Court Law Under Fire Locally
GREENVILLE — A Washington County court judge told the Board of Supervisors on August 17 that a new state law overhauling youth courts strips judges of authority over case intake and threatens to make county courts obsolete.
"The county courts are dispensable and it appears that they declared war on the county court judges," the judge told the board, adding that intake decisions have moved to state-hired officers with as little as nine months' experience.
The judge said the county could face $100-a-day fees to house youth in state facilities if the county detention option is eliminated, and asked the board to authorize its attorney to help retain two part-time prosecutors whose funding status is unclear under the new law. The board voted to have its attorney meet with the judge and court staff and report back next meeting.