MD. Bills Would Eliminate Burdensome Juvenile Justice Fines and Fees
Maryland is poised to play a critical leadership role in the fight for smart and fair youth justice by considering House Bill 694 and Senate Bill 823 to eliminate juvenile justice system fines and fees.
A key provision of the legislation, which will have hearings tomorrow in the Maryland House of Delegates and next month in the Maryland Senate, would end the practice of charging indigent youth and families for the cost of public defenders or court-appointed attorneys. This should be a no-brainer. In the landmark 1963 decision “Gideon v. Wainwright,” the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that courts must appoint lawyers free of charge for individuals facing criminal charges who could not afford them. Just four years later, in “In re Gault,” the court extended this right to children, emphasizing that it was particularly important for youth, who need the “guiding hand of counsel” to navigate the complexities of the juvenile justice system.
