S.B. 18: An Act Concerning a Second Chance Society

The first part of this bill would have raised the age when a young person could be treated as an adult in court to age 20. This would have helped to ensure that a young person who made a mistake received a second chance in life. The ACLU-CT supported the bill's concept but also encouraged adding an amendment to protect the First Amendment rights of the public to access judicial proceedings and information. The second part of this bill would have eliminated cash bail for people charged with misdemeanors, except in cases when someone posed a flight risk or danger to society.