Katie Walsh Law

Senate Bill 889 was introduced in an effort to have all people under 21 to be tried as minors. There were a number of arguments for and against the measure, including an emphasis on the scientific reasons young people may not be fully developed mentally or emotionally and, as such, not fully responsible for their actions. http://blog.katiewalshlaw.com//senate-bill-889-all-people-

The California Appeals Court has determined that a man sentenced to 90 years in prison when he was a teen is now entitled to a new hearing.

Last week, the District Attorney for Los Angeles County announced his plans to shake up criminal prosecutions. He promises to end the practice of trying juveniles as adults. Please read today's post to learn more.

Discriminatory discipline is a severe problem in the United States, according to a national analysis of school suspension data by the UCLA Civil Rights Project.

Fulfilling his pledge to disrupt the school-to-prison pipeline, Gov. Newsom signed several bills that relate to juvenile justice. Please read today's blog post to learn more.

The new Office of Youth and Community Restoration will have critical responsibilities to oversee county juvenile justice systems, administer funding, and ensure local policies and practices reflect the state's priorities for children and families.

At the beginning of this month, supervisors from Contra Costa County said that they intend to change the county’s juvenile justice system for the better. Their decision about the closure of juvenile halls will be part of a larger dialogue seeking to reimagine youth justice in the area.

Orange County residents can turn to the Court User Portal to take care of payments or set up payment plans, submit electronic correspondence to the court, reserve a court date, or set up email or text reminders for future hearing or payment dates.

California students have demanded changes in their school districts. In several major cities, students are imploring school boards to put a stop to the presence of police in their schools.

L.A. County District Attorney Jackie Lacey reports that forty-four percent of juveniles who are still detained committed low-level and non-violent offensesmost awaiting a court hearing.

California Supreme Court Chief Justice Tani Cantil-Sakauye issued an emergency order allowing courthouses across the state to close for the time being facilities to the public. In response, all Orange County Superior Court system courthouses closed last Monday.

Last month, California's First District Court of Appeals blocked the attorney general's attempt to impose a warrantless device search on a teenage girl convicted of felony assault. However, the justices did not weigh in on the constitutionality of such measures when reading their decision.

Last week, Sen. Nancy Skinner introduced Senate Bill 889: Juveniles. If approved and signed by Governor Gavin Newsom, the legislation would raise the age limit on California's youth justice system. Please read our blog to learn more.

At The Law Offices of Katie Walsh, we hope that everyone had a peaceful holiday season, and we would like to wish you a happy New Year. We felt it prudent to use the first post of 2020 to discuss some of the new legislation that went into effect this year, particularly laws that impact school children. Please click the link to learn more.

If the Supreme Court sides with William Palmer, it could lay out a path to release for other young offenders serving lengthy sentences. If he loses, it's back to prison, and Palmer will have to go before the board once again.

22 counties are in violation of SB-190 by continuing to charge fees, demand past fees, and bill families through the child support system.

Research shows that students who start classes later in the morning were less likely to be suspended. Gov. Newsom just signed Senate Bill 328 into law, making it so that most middle schools and high schools will start class later.