Bill > HB0034

This bill amends Tennessee law to allow juvenile court records to be used in more criminal proceedings, specifically expanding when and how juvenile court records can be utilized in adult criminal cases. The legislation modifies existing statutes to permit juvenile court dispositions and evidence to be used in pretrial reports for setting bond, if the juvenile court adjudication occurred within the previous five years. The bill enables courts, probation officials, and attorneys to access juvenile records when preparing pretrial bond reports and allows magistrates to consider a defendant's prior juvenile record when assessing their potential risk to the community. This change represents a significant shift from previous law, which more strictly protected the confidentiality of juvenile court records by limiting their use in other legal proceedings. The bill aims to provide more comprehensive information to courts when making decisions about bond and potential community risk, while still maintaining some time limitations on how far back juvenile records can be considered. The changes apply to Tennessee's juvenile justice and criminal procedure codes, specifically affecting Titles 37 and 40 of the Tennessee Code Annotated.

Budget and Finance, Justice

https://wapp.capitol.tn.gov/apps/Billinfo/default.aspx?BillNumber=HB0034&ga=114