Senate Bill 154, sponsored by Sen. Gene Therriault, closes a loophole in state statute that can allow juveniles to theoretically avoid prosecution if either their role in the crime was not discovered until they became 18 or older or if charges were not filed before the offender turned 18. This loophole was illustrated by a recent case in Kenai where the Superior Court dismissed a delinquency petition against a 19-year-old accused of committing a sexual assault when he was 17. The bill also reduces state expenses by allowing some juvenile proceedings to be held telephonically.
House Bill 131, sponsored by Rep. Bill Stoltze, increases the penalties for certain types of identity theft involving credit cards, ATM cards and I.D. cards. The bill, which is supported by the AARP, raises the penalty from a class A misdemeanor to a class C felony. In addition, it now becomes a class C felony to steal more than $50 by such means instead of the previous threshold of at least $500. Class C felonies can be punishable by sentences up to 2-5 years in prison.
