THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, October 5, 1995 TAG: 9510050389
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B1 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY TONI WHITT, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: PORTSMOUTH LENGTH: Short : 50 lines
A state commission on juvenile crime says Virginia should get tough on its youthful offenders by trying and sentencing more teenagers as adults and by opening all juvenile criminal cases to the public.
In a report to be released today, the panel advocates that any teen at least 14 years old who is accused of a violent crime automatically be tried as an adult.
Jerry Kilgore, Gov. George F. Allen's secretary for public safety, released highlights of the report in Portsmouth on Wednesday during a campaign speech for Republican candidate Daniel R. Evans, who is challenging Democratic incumbent Billy S. Moore for the 79th District House of Delegates seat.
Kilgore said the commission recommended leaving to prosecutors' discretion whether to try violent-crime suspects ages 11 to 14 as adults. And it would be up to the judge whether to sentence convicts in that age range as adults, Kilgore said.
The law currently requires that any juvenile accused of a violent crime be given a hearing in front of a judge before he or she can be treated as an adult.
The commission's draft report also recommends that all juvenile criminal hearings be open to the public. Currently, juveniles are tried in closed courtrooms, and once they reach adulthood their criminal records are sealed.
``Juveniles should no longer be able to hide behind the secrecy of the juvenile justice system,'' Kilgore said. ``The community has the right to know what's going on.''
He said the proposal, which the panel hopes the General Assembly will take up in its January session, also calls for:
Sending more juvenile criminals to ``military-style camps where they'll have more discipline.''
Increasing the number of alternative high schools throughout the state ``so we can remove those kids who don't want to learn.'' Local school boards would set guidelines for when those students could return to the mainstream schools, Kilgore said.
Allen appointed the commission - made up of teachers, legislators, prosecutors and crime victims - to seek ways to deter juvenile crime.
Kilgore said the commission would hold four public hearings - including one in Norfolk later this month - before releasing a final version of its report. by CNB