Youths in Utah may soon have the assurance that they will be offered a public defender if they find themselves in trouble with the law.
SB32 requires the appointment of public defenders for all youths who can’t afford one. Bill sponsor Sen. Todd Weiler, R-Woods Cross, said current law has allowed inconsistency throughout the state, leaving children as young as 8 years old to argue on their own behalf in juvenile courtrooms.
Anyone who is charged with a crime that includes the possibility of jail time — in Utah, that’s anything above an infraction — is entitled to an attorney, even if the defendant is poor.