Staff Analysis of the Legislation
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HB 361 amends Chapter 11 of Title 15 of the O.C.G.A., relating to the Juvenile Code, in order to enact reforms recommended by the Georgia Council on Criminal Justice Reform with respect to juveniles. The bill provides clean up to the juvenile code, and includes language to clarify that 17-year-old drivers will be treated as adults for traffic offenses. It also clarifies that district attorneys and police department general counsels may file petitions in juvenile court for children in need of services (CHINS). It provides superior court judges with explicit factors to consider when determining whether to transfer a case to juvenile court. |