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Full Utah House to vote on bill requiring that children have the option of a public defender at all court proceedings

A bill expanding the option of a public defender to children at effectively any and all juvenile court proceedings is headed to the Utah House after a unanimous vote of support by the House Judiciary Committee on Friday.

Sponsor Sen. Todd Weiler, R-Woods Cross, said current law has allowed inconsistency throughout the state, leaving children as young as 8 years old to argue on their own behalf in criminal matters.

“This bill would assume that a child is indigent and would offer a public defender until someone declined it or had another attorney there,” Weiler said.