Right to Counsel for Kids in Truancy Hearings

uvenile students accused of chronically cutting classes in public schools are entitled to a lawyer in their first court hearing, a three-judge panel of the Washington state Court of Appeals ruled Monday.

Reversing a King County Superior Court ruling and an earlier Court of Appeals finding that was made on different issues, the panel found that denying a juvenile the right to a lawyer from the outset violated constitutional requirements.

Truants can have lawyer, state rules, The Olympian, Jan. 13, 2009.

The case is Bellevue School Dist. v. E.S., No. 60528-3-I, (Wash. App. Div. I Jan. 12, 2009), available here.

A legislative committee held a hearing on the state's truancy efforts Jan. 16. Some legislators are considering a bill to respond to the ruling.
Lawmakers concerned over lawyer rule in truancy case, Olympian, Jan. 17, 2009.

The hearing was before the Senate Human Services & Corrections Comm. The video is on TVW. I haven't found any bills.

Editorial,
Court ruling may help get truants on track, Jan. 23, 2009.