A Jefferson County judge has halted the controversial practice of routinely handcuffing and chaining children who appear in juvenile court.
Judge David Holton, who took over as a juvenile judge in November, stopped the practice in December because he doesn’t believe children benefit from the humiliation of entering the courtroom in handcuffs secured by a chain around their torso.
Over the past three months, he says there haven’t been any problems.
Children’s advocates and public defenders have long opposed the practice.
Holton’s rule also brings Jefferson County into compliance with a state Supreme Court rule adopted last year that says children who appear in juvenile court shouldn’t be shackled or restrained unless a judge cites a specific need to do so.
Source: AP
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