Ex-police deputy queries juvenile justice oversight following fatal accident

In a recent interview, Law Enforcement Legal Defense Fund President Jason Johnson expressed concerns about Maryland's juvenile justice laws, stating that they may slow down investigations. These concerns were heightened following a fatal crash that claimed the life of Shaunte Denise Canty.

The crash occurred at the intersection of Sheriff Road and Martin Luther King Jr. Highway, involving a stolen vehicle that ran a red light and struck Canty's vehicle. Four juveniles were allegedly inside the stolen car, and no new information has been provided about their current status or the prosecutor's office's stance on charging them.

Johnson, in expressing hope, stated that the new Acting Secretary of the Department of Juvenile Services (DJS), Betsy Fox Tolentino, will institute more stringent regulations and detain more juveniles charged with serious offenses. However, it's too early to see if this will happen.

Tolentino, in a separate interview, stated that when they can't serve young people safely in communities, they may need to use tools like long-term treatment in a residential facility or short-term detention. This is particularly challenging in Maryland, as Johnson noted, due to the state's juvenile justice laws that make it difficult to hold juveniles accused of crimes in detention until their court hearing.

Johnson also noted a concern about the lack of information available about juvenile cases, stating that they are adjudicated in secret, making it difficult to get data about cases at large. He mentioned that police cannot interview a juvenile that's been charged, even with a serious offense, without the parents' permission and without the juvenile having the opportunity to consult with an attorney.

For felonies, the DJS, the Office of the State's Attorney, and the defense attorney make recommendations to the court, and the judge ultimately decides the final decision on pre-trial detentions of juveniles. Johnson plans to closely monitor how Tolentino handles her office in relation to the crash investigation and the detention of juveniles charged with serious offenses.

The Department of Juvenile Services has been asked about Johnson's concerns regarding Maryland's juvenile justice laws, and their response will be updated in this story as it becomes available. No new information was provided about the potential charging of the juveniles involved in the crash or the current status of the child who survived the crash.

The investigation into the crash involving Canty and the stolen car is ongoing.