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| "Arkansas' Voice on the Internet" | Previous Features / Investigations |
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 Press not allowed in meetings of juvenile justice subgroups ARKANSAS DEMOCRAT-GAZETTE A subgroup of the Governor's Working Group on Juvenile Justice met in the state Capitol on Wednesday, in private. In the meetings, public officials and private citizens discuss possible juvenile justice reforms from varying perspectives. Participants include juvenile court judges, legislators, prosecutors, police, educators, pastors, counselors and child psychologists. There are four subgroups for legal, family, community and education discussions. They report their decisions, not their discussions, to the larger group, which has open meetings. The working group was assembled by Gov. Mike Huckabee after shootings March 24 at Westside Middle School near Jonesboro killed one teacher and four girls. Two boys, ages 12 and 13, are being held for the shootings. Huckabee spokesman Steve Brawner, a former newspaperman, said Wednesday that the subgroup meetings are closed because "several members of the group were uncomfortable expressing their views with the press present. At times, reporters don't quote accurately. At times, quotes are taken out of context." Huckabee considered keeping meetings of the larger group closed, but decided to open them. Dennis Schick, executive director of the Arkansas Press Association, said it was "disquieting" that the subgroups meet in private. He said that defending the practice by saying the media might misquote somebody only focuses on the potential harm and ignores the good the media do in reporting on such issues and letting the public gain greater understanding as the issues are developing. This article was published on Thursday, July 2, 1998 Copyright, permissions and privacy policy Copyright © 2008, Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, Inc. All rights reserved. This document may not be reprinted without the express written permission of Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, Inc. |
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