Garcetti Backs Wilson on Getting Tough With Juveniles

Warning that the juvenile justice system is in crisis, Dist. Atty. Gil Garcetti said Tuesday that he supports Gov. Pete Wilson’s proposal to send youths over the age of 14 to adult court if they commit a serious crime.

“Too many juveniles do not think about the real consequences because they have come into the system that on too many occasions has only said, ‘naughty boy,’ ” Garcetti said during a news conference the morning after Wilson’s State of the State address. “There must be immediate and drastic consequences.”

Garcetti, who is seeking reelection against five opponents, joins a chorus of state and local officials who have recently called for reform in the system.

Wilson announced Monday night that he will propose that anyone 14 or older be sent to prison for committing a serious crime rather than going to the California Youth Authority until age 25.

Citing an oft-predicted explosion of juvenile crime when the mini baby boom of the 1980s produces a huge increase in American teenagers, Garcetti said: “Overhauling the juvenile justice system will defuse the juvenile crime time bomb that is waiting to go off.”

He said there will be 30% more 11- to 19-year-olds living in Los Angeles County in the next six years.

Other reforms Garcetti suggested include:

* Treating juveniles who commit murder as adults, regardless of age.

* Releasing the names of juvenile offenders in an effort to advise schools and neighborhoods of the activities of violent youths.

* Requiring immediate consequences for every juvenile crime, regardless of how minor.

He also urged the public to contact their legislators to encourage them to overhaul juvenile laws, while working within their neighborhoods to help families with troubled teenagers. Early intervention, he said, is the key.

“Too often these juveniles are lost in the process,” Garcetti said.

One legal expert, however, called Garcetti’s proposal a “sound bite” that does not address the long-term problems in the juvenile justice system.

“It sounds very good: ‘We tried that kid as an adult, and by God, we made him accountable,’ ” said Jan C. Costello, who teaches juvenile law at Loyola Marymount University. “But is a judge going to sentence them as an adult?”

She agreed that law enforcement officials should target the youths early, when their problems first arise, instead of waiting until they commit a serious crime. However, she questioned whether the county has the resources for such preventive measures, especially at a time when the Board of Supervisors is bracing for the closure of 19 youth probation camps. The camps are scheduled to close next month unless the governor and the Legislature can find $17 million in funding.

For youths who commit minor crimes, Garcetti suggested sending offenders to a court hearing without lawyers. Punishments would include mandatory community service or revoking driver’s licenses.

Now, youths convicted of the most heinous murders face a maximum term of life in prison without the possibility of parole--regardless of whether the offender is tried as an adult.

Youths 16 and older can be tried as adults for murder and other violent crimes if a judge deems it appropriate. Under Garcetti’s proposal, youngsters accused of crimes involving guns would be sent straight to adult court--without a special hearing.

“We have to start thinking about our tomorrow,” he said.