Superior Court Issues Order on Post-Commitment Juvenile Representation

June 10, 2022

On June 8 the Superior Court of the District of Columbia issued Administrative Order 22-08  regarding the establishment of post-commitment juvenile attorney panel members.

Starting July 6, when the Family Court enters a disposition in a delinquency case under D.C. Code §16-2320(c)(2) committing a respondent to the Department of Youth Rehabilitation Services, the court shall inquire whether the assigned trial attorney will provide post-commitment representation. If not, the respondent can request appointment of an attorney from Open City Advocates or the Criminal Justice Act (CJA) Panel. If the respondent has been assigned an attorney from the Public Defender Service of the District of Columbia (PDS), the PDS attorney will represent the respondent in all post-commitment litigation.

The court also ordered that by August 8, Open City Advocates will train its attorneys and CJA Juvenile Panel member attorneys to litigate post-commitment matters involving juveniles in the Family Court system. Furthermore, by June 13 the presiding judge of the Family Court must provide written notice to all CJA Juvenile Panel attorneys of their eligibility to participate in the training program. The deadline for panel members to notify the judge of their interest in training is July 15.