State v. B.B.

Juvenile Law Center filed a brief in the Connecticut Supreme Court in support of B.B., whose case had been transferred without a prior hearing from juvenile court to adult criminal court, pursuant to Connecticut General Statute §54-76c (subsection 960A).

Juvenile Law Center called for the Connecticut Supreme Court to reverse B.B.’s conviction, arguing in the brief that §54-76c violates the due process rights of juvenile defendants like B.B. because it gives the prosecutor the power to choose the forum in which juveniles are tried without providing standards to guide that choice, a statement of reasons, or an opportunity for review to determine whether the juvenile would be suitable for prosecution in the adult system and would be amenable to treatment.

The Connecticut Supreme Court affirmed the judgment of the trial court, holding that §54-76c satisfies due process because it requires a hearing in adult criminal court prior to the finalization of the transfer of a case from juvenile court, and that neither the statute nor due process entitles the defendant to a hearing in juvenile court.