Oregon lawmakers discuss elimination of juvenile court fees

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Oregon lawmakers are discussing and considering a proposed bill that, if passed, would eliminate fees and court costs associated with juvenile delinquency matters.

The fees being discussed include court-appointed counsel, applying for court-appointed counsel, financial penalties for unpaid fees, electronic monitoring, probation supervision and detention fees, explained Amy Miller, the executive director at Youth, Rights & Justice.

Officials say Oregon’s juvenile court fees fall more heavily on people of color and low-income families and that the proposed bill is is how “we start to heal the juvenile system.”

Read more at: https://apnews.com/article/legislature-judiciary-courts-oregon-340bac569b6c3c2e3ac6f54c561df870