House Bill would give all Del. juvenile offenders representation in court

Some lawmakers in Delaware are pushing to have juveniles automatically assigned a lawyer for court hearings.

In 2015 of about 5,000 total cases involving juveniles, about 3,500 were given lawyers.

The Delaware House Administration Committee has been assigned House Bill 382, which House Speaker Pete Schwartzkopf says will guarantee that all children facing criminal charges and allegations of delinquency have the right to an attorney.

Schwartzkopf, who filed the bill, adds that currently there is no legal requirement that juveniles receive representation in court.

Right now, the office of defense services determines whether the juvenile meets indigency criteria.