But if a bill under consideration in the Colorado legislature had been in effect, arrest records showing the names of the juveniles would not have been released – not then and perhaps not for several months.
Under House Bill 17-1204, a judge would have to order a juvenile be charged as an adult to trigger the public release of all currently available arrest and criminal records in such cases. A judge makes that decision after a reverse transfer hearing, in which youths who are “direct filed” in adult court ask to have their cases sent to juvenile court.
A reverse transfer hearing often takes place well after a district attorney has decided to file adult charges against a teenager, the current trigger for the release of arrest information. “It can take three to six to nine months to get a final decision from the court,” said Tom Raynes, executive director of the Colorado District Attorneys’ Council.