THSC has been informed that the Harris County
Juvenile Curfew Review Committee
will be holding a public hearing on the current night
time curfew and considering
the proposal by law enforcement officials to expand
this to a daytime curfew. The information and
comments received at this hearing will be forwarded
along with committee recommendations to
Commissioners Court on Tuesday,
September 11, 2007, during the court's 10:00 a.m.
agenda.
Please note the details of this hearing below and
attend and/or let others know
about this hearing. We have been told that law
enforcement officials have data
that shows increased crime rates during school hours
and officers are unable to
apprehend students who are out in public during
those hours for interrogation
because they are told by these students that they
home school. These officers
cannot take action because they do not
have "probable cause" or credible evidence
that the person has committed a crime. Therefore,
they wish want an ordinance
that would allow them to give a citation to any student
of compulsory attendance
age who is in public during school hours.
THSC opposes daytime curfews and encourages
home schoolers in Harris County to
give testimony at the hearing and/or send written
testimony to the official listed
below. Get more information on how daytime curfews impact home
schoolers.
NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING
Pursuant to Section 370.002 of the Texas Local
Government Code, the
Harris County Juvenile Curfew Review Committee will
hold a public
hearing beginning at 2:00 p.m. on Wednesday, August
29, 2007, in the
Harris County Commissioners Courtroom, 1001
Preston, 9th Floor, Houston,
Texas 77002.
This public hearing is scheduled for the purposes of
obtaining written
and testimonial information concerning the effects of
the Curfew on the
community and on problems the Curfew was intended
to remedy, and to
consider public comment on the need to continue,
modify, or abolish the
Harris County Juvenile Curfew.
The existing Juvenile Curfew, applicable in
unincorporated Harris
County, prohibits any person less than 17 years of
age knowingly to be
present about, in, or upon any public place during
curfew hours, from
12:00 a.m. (midnight) until 6:00 a.m. on any day of the
week.
Written comments may be sent to the Harris County
Juvenile Curfew Review
Committee c/o Senior Assistant County Attorney, Janet
Marton, 1201
Franklin, 7th Floor, Houston, Texas 77002, or by e-
mail to
Janet_Marton@ccl.hctx.net
HARRIS COUNTY WILL PROVIDE REASONABLE
ACCOMMODATIONS FOR DISABLED
PERSONS ATTENDING THIS HEARING BEFORE THE
JUVENILE CURFEW COMMITTEE.
PERSONS REQUESTING SPECIAL
ACCOMMODATIONS SHOULD CONTACT DEBBIE
CHAPMAN,
ADA COORDINATOR, AT 713-755-4396 AND
SHOULD BE RECEIVED BY HARRIS COUNTY
24 HOURS PRIOR TO THE MEETING.
