Oregon lawmakers discuss elimination of juvenile court fees

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — During the 2021 legislative session, Oregon lawmakers, are discussing and considering a proposed bill that, if passed, would eliminate fees and court costs associated with juvenile delinquency matters. The fees being discussed include court appointed council, applying for court appointed council, financial penalties for unpaid fees, electronic monitoring, probation supervision and detention fees, explained Amy Miller, the executive director at Youth, Rights & Justice. Officials say Oregon’s juvenile court fees fall more heavily on people of color and low-income families and that the proposed bill is is how “we start to heal the juvenile system.”