04/15/2005 08:00 AM Senate JUDICIARY

         CSHB 155(JUD)-YOUTH COURTS AND CRIMINAL FINES                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR RALPH SEEKINS announced HB 155 to be up for consideration.                                                                
                                                                                                                                
8:11:03 AM                                                                                                                    
REPRESENTATIVE RALPH  SAMUELS introduced HB 155,  which would give                                                              
the Legislature the  authority to appropriate up to  25 percent of                                                              
the  fines collected  by the  court  system to  the youth  courts.                                                              
Youth  courts help  young offenders  by intervening  early to  set                                                              
them on the right  track and work to deter them  from entering the                                                              
corrections  system. The Anchorage  Youth Court  is the  oldest of                                                              
the  14  operating  youth  courts  in Alaska.  In  the  first  two                                                              
quarters  of the current  fiscal  year there  have been 471  youth                                                              
offenders  referred to  the  programs and  almost  9,000 hours  of                                                              
community service has been doled out.                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
8:12:23 AM                                                                                                                    
REPRESENTATIVE SAMUELS  added a youth court is a  court system for                                                              
young people  run by young  people. Were HB  155 to pass  it would                                                              
provide the accounting mechanism for youth courts.                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
Senator Gretchen Guess joined the committee.                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
8:14:18 AM                                                                                                                    
MS.  VIRGINIA  ESPENSHADE,  executive  director,  Kenai  Peninsula                                                              
Youth Courts,  testified in support  of HB 155. Funding  for youth                                                              
court programs  has always been  a guessing game. The  Division of                                                              
Juvenile Justice  has always supported  youth courts  because they                                                              
provide a  crucial service  to their  different probation  offices                                                              
across  the state.  HB 155  would give  the courts  sustainability                                                              
and  the  ability  to provide  direct  service.  Last  year  Kenai                                                              
courts  heard 146  cases. The  youth courts  also handle  underage                                                              
drinkers.                                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
8:15:40 AM                                                                                                                    
MR. JONATHAN  LACK, member, board  of directors',  Anchorage Youth                                                              
Court, testified  in support  of HB  155. He  said the  people who                                                              
run the  youth courts do  an excellent  job. He offered  to answer                                                              
questions.                                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
8:17:24 AM                                                                                                                    
SENATOR  GENE  THERRIAULT  asked  Mr.  Doug  Wooliver  to  explain                                                              
Section 3 and Section 4.                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
MR. DOUG WOOLIVER,  administrative attorney, Alaska  Court System,                                                              
explained  there are two  different computer  systems, one  breaks                                                              
down   individual   fines  and   the   other  lumps   fines   with                                                              
forfeitures.  The  Section 3  transition  deals with  getting  the                                                              
system to  operate on one computer  accounting system so  they can                                                              
report  to  the  Department  of Revenue  the  exact  breakdown  of                                                              
fines.                                                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
8:20:50 AM                                                                                                                    
SENATOR  THERRIAULT  moved  CSHB   155(JUD)  from  committee  with                                                              
individual  recommendations  and  attached fiscal  note(s).  There                                                              
being no objection, the motion carried.