The Louisiana House has approved a bill to make some juvenile criminal records public in three major and predominantly Black parishes with the aim to create a pilot program for increased transparency, starting with Caddo, Orleans, and East Baton Rouge Parishes, James Finn reports for The Times-Picayune/The New Orleans Advocate. Critics say the bill is racially discriminatory and exposes Black youth to unwarranted scrutiny.
If it passes the State Senate, the bill would require the parishes to establish accessible databases of juvenile court records. Overall, the bill aims to grant crime victims greater access to information related to criminal cases. Louisiana Attorney General Jeff Landry strongly supports the bill, and emphasized in statements its potential to expose flaws within the criminal justice system.
Some lawmakers during House hearings on the bill, including conservative ones, expressed reservations about publicly releasing juvenile records. Still, the bill passed the house with a 63-36 vote.
from The Crime Report https://ift.tt/A4HLuRv
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