Report: Kudos to Grant County juvenile defense

EPHRATA, Wash. —
Just one child in Grant County pleaded guilty last year at an initial court appearance before having an attorney. Two years ago, 93 juveniles arrested for crimes there did so.
Those improvements in the juvenile defense program were one of the bright spots in a 2008 status report on public defense in Washington. The report found that cities and counties have made significant improvements in public defense programs. Joanne Moore, director of the state Office of Public Defense, says that in Grant County, many of those juveniles were able to participate in treatment and counseling programs. They also received deferred sentences in many cases, instead of detention.
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