The Provo City Council has recently been considering  a new ordinance severely affecting the rights of minors.  A council member proposed a city ordinance making it a Class B misdemeanor crime for children ages 6 through 17 to be truant.  A police officer would have the authority to stop a child if the child was in a public place and issue a citation to the child for not being in school.  This daytime truancy ordinance would criminalize any child who was not in school.

Provo Residents’ Outcry

Many Provo residents, and other Utah residents as well, were highly alarmed at the proposal’s far-reaching grip.  People were afraid the ordinance would allow police officers to stop homeschooled children and issue them citations.  Also, Provo is home to Brigham Young University and some students at the university are under the age of 18.  Police officers finding a college student in a public place who looked under 18 could issue a citation.

The Provo City ordinance would give the police broad powers to stop any person who looked under 18 years old and question them during school hours.  The ordinance would restrict the movement of children and usurp the authority of parents to decide what is best for their children.  The alarming ordinance would add a burden to police officers by making them criminalize someone as young as 6 years old.

Peaceful Protest Kills Proposal

Fortunately though, the proposal has been killed because of peaceful protesters raising an outcry to the bill.  Yesterday approximately 250 protesters, some of them children, gathered at the Provo City Building to oppose the ordinance.  The protesters peacefully demonstrated their displeasure with the proposal.  Because of these protesters, along with others who sent hundreds of emails and phone calls to the Provo Mayor, the proposal was killed even before the council discussed it during the council meeting last night.

Provo Attorneys Will Protect Juvenile’s Rights

While this daytime truancy ordinance is dead, truancy laws still exist.  If your child has truancy crimes or other juvenile crimes pending, call the attorneys of the Criminal Defense Provo law firm at 801.800.8246.  Our experienced lawyers will protect unjust decisions against juveniles by the juvenile courts.  Minors have rights under the law just like adults and the lawyers at Criminal Defense Provo law firm will protect those rights.

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