Originally published Monday, January 12, 2009 at 3:50 PM

Wash. court: truants entitled to lawyer

A Washington state appeals court panel has ruled that students who are accused of chronic truancy are entitled to a lawyer in court.

SEATTLE —

A Washington state appeals court panel has ruled that students who are accused of chronic truancy are entitled to a lawyer in court.

The unanimous three-judge ruling comes in a case from Bellevue.

It reverses a decision by King County Superior Court Judge Patricia Clark in 2007.

Under a law enacted in 1995, a juvenile with at least seven unexcused absences in a month or 10 in a school year may face a Juvenile Court hearing to compel attendance. Clark upheld a provision that allows the hearing to be conducted without a lawyer for the juvenile.

Appellate Judge Anne Ellington writes that the proceeding "affects the child's rights to liberty, privacy and education." Therefore, Ellington adds, "Due process requires that the child be afforded counsel."

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Comments

You must be kidding! How about the court determine that that kid needs to be in school LEARNING instead of deciding the kid needs to waste morre... Posted on January 12, 2009 at 4:37 PM by jay_cee. Jump to comment

As Jay_cee's and tsgt's comments illustrate, there is a strong and unwarranted presumption that government accusers know best and that... Posted on January 13, 2009 at 8:53 AM by Trevor D. Reid. Jump to comment

I guess that concept of "due process" is unfathonable by people residing in Epharta. Posted on January 13, 2009 at 3:14 PM by RoCkEt ScEiNtISt. Jump to comment

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