Amici Curiae Brief of Columbia Legal Services and TeamChild
Hillary Madsen
María Diana Garcia
Bonnie A. Linville
Sara Zier
SummaryOriginal

Summary

The public availability of juvenile records can intensify racial disproportionality and harms youth by interfering with their future opportunities.

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2017 | State Juristiction

Amici Curiae Brief of Columbia Legal Services and TeamChild

Keywords youth; juvenile record; racial disparity; record sealing; youth of color; transition to adulthood
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Summary of Argument

The juvenile court system has a unique role to rehabilitate, protect, and guide children and youth through successful transitions to adulthood. A key component of rehabilitation is confidentiality. The public dissemination of juvenile records creates barriers to some of the most critical components of any successful transition to adulthood: housing, education, and employment. Worse, these barriers disproportionately impact children and youth of color. To meet its express objective of removing barriers, our state legislature created a new, administrative path for juvenile record sealing. This pathway is thwarted when cut short by juvenile courts affirming Pierce County Prosecutor’s Office objections to juvenile record sealing while denying children and youth access to notice and contested hearings. The future of thousands of children and youth are at stake in evaluating how to treat an objection to administrative record sealing under RCW 13.50.260 because the choice between confidentiality or the continued public availability of juvenile records has lifelong consequences.

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Summary of Argument

The juvenile court system assumes a crucial role in rehabilitating, safeguarding, and guiding children and youth as they navigate the transition to adulthood. Confidentiality is an essential component of this process, facilitating successful outcomes. However, the public dissemination of juvenile records impedes vital aspects of adult life, including housing, education, and employment, particularly for children and youth of color. To mitigate these barriers, state legislatures established a new, administrative mechanism for sealing juvenile records. However, this pathway is hampered when juvenile courts uphold objections from the Pierce County Prosecutor’s Office to record sealing while denying children and youth the right to notice and contested hearings. The outcome of this legal debate significantly impacts thousands of children and youth. Determining how to handle objections to administrative record sealing under RCW 13.50.260 is crucial, as the decision between confidentiality and continued public access to juvenile records has lifelong ramifications.

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Summary of Argument

The juvenile court system plays a vital role in guiding young people through their transition to adulthood. Confidentiality is crucial for successful rehabilitation, and its absence can create significant barriers for youth in areas such as housing, education, and employment. These barriers disproportionately affect children and youth of color. To address this, the state legislature established a new administrative process for sealing juvenile records. However, this process is being undermined by juvenile courts upholding objections to record sealing from the Pierce County Prosecutor’s Office, while denying youth the right to due process. These decisions, which essentially dictate whether or not juvenile records are sealed, have significant long-term implications for the lives of thousands of young people.

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Summary of Argument

The juvenile court system helps young people become successful adults. Keeping information about cases confidential is a key part of this process. Sharing this information publicly makes it hard for young people to find homes, get jobs, or go to school. This is especially true for young people of color. To solve this problem, the state created a new way for young people to get their records sealed. However, some courts are blocking this process by siding with the Pierce County Prosecutor's Office. This means young people aren't getting their records sealed, which could have a negative impact on their lives. The way courts handle objections to record sealing is important because it decides whether young people's information stays private or remains public, which can affect their futures.

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Summary of Argument

The juvenile court system helps kids and teens become successful adults. One important part of this is keeping their records private. If these records are public, it can make it hard for kids to find a place to live, go to school, or get a job. This is especially hard for kids of color. The state legislature made a new way for kids to seal their records, but some courts are stopping them. They are siding with the prosecutor's office and not giving kids a chance to argue their case. This is a big problem for many kids, because they might not have a chance to have a clean record and a good future.

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Footnotes and Citation

Cite

Brief of Amici Curiae Columbia Legal Services and TeamChild in Support of Appellants, State v. Cofield, State v. Jeter, Nos. 49039-1-II (Wash. Ct. App. Apr. 20, 2017).

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