Bill H.781 proposes to expand the jurisdiction of the Criminal Division of the Superior Court to include additional offenses committed by juveniles aged 14 to 22. Specifically, it amends 33 V.S.A. § 5201 to stipulate that proceedings for certain offenses, such as violations of conditions of release related to prior offenses, will originate in the Criminal Division unless the State's Attorney opts to file a youthful offender petition in the Family Division. The bill also removes previous language that mandated the Criminal Division's jurisdiction for offenses committed by those aged 16 to 22, thereby broadening the scope of offenses that can be addressed in the Criminal Division.

Furthermore, the bill introduces new offenses that can be transferred from the Family Division to the Criminal Division, including aggravated stalking, first and second degree aggravated domestic assault, lewd or lascivious conduct, and trafficking of regulated drugs, among others. These changes are reflected in the amendments to 33 V.S.A. § 5204, which now includes a more extensive list of serious offenses that can be prosecuted in the Criminal Division. The act is set to take effect upon passage.

Statutes affected:
As Introduced: 33-5201, 33-5203, 33-5204