Connecticut loosens juvenile criminal history record restrictions
By Mike Savino, Ashley RK Smith
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HARTFORD, Connecticut (WFSB) — Governor Ned Lamont said on Aug. 6, that judges will now have access to juveniles’ records 24/7, when ruling on requests.
Police and republicans hope the change will help lower car thefts by minors.
The governor stated that the change would, “make sure the judges know the difference between that first time offender, who is just doing something stupid and can make the appropriate response to that and that chronic repeat offender.”
Democrats and advocates said the first step to lowering juvenile car thefts is counseling and programs, which has worked in the past.
They said that police need more training on existing laws, including how to get a detention order.
The rise in car thefts is a national issue, not a local one. Thefts were up 9% in 2020, after a 50 year low in 2019.
A new law that takes effect in the fall would track how often police file detention orders and how often judges reject them.
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