Fines for youthful violations can linger for years. A bill would end that.
As a teen, Delvin Reddick faced a choice between pursuing a degree in social work or hitting pause on his education to pay off court debt stemming from a theft charge.
The court levied fines, fees and restitution against Reddick that he says equaled what his tuition would be to attend the Community College of Allegheny County.
He decided to put off school but paying the court-ordered fines and fees couldn’t happen overnight. And, when he turned 18 and was still chipping away at his debt, the court transferred the case to his adult record — a consequence that haunted him for the next decade.
Advocates say many Allegheny County residents have had their lives upended by financial consequences of acts they committed in youth.
House Bill 1381, which passed the Pennsylvania House Judiciary Committee in September, could change that.
