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Harris County Juvenile Court
(Harris County Juvenile Probation Department)
Hours in the United Kingdom, Harris County, Texas, United States of America.
Juvenile Court Judge Glenn Devlin asked the kids if they planned to kill someone before releasing them, the Houston Chronicle reported.
"He was releasing everybody," said public defender Steven Halpert, who watched the string of surprising releases. "Apparently he was saying that's what the voters wanted."
"'If I release you, are you going to go out and kill anybody?'" Halpert quoted Devlin as saying to his client and others.
After responding they would not, Devlin said 'OK, you're released,' "Halpert said.
Devlin and the county's other two juvenile judges – all Republicans – were upped from their seats in the Democrats on Tuesday by at least 10-point spreads. In all, Swept Democrats 59 Local Texas Short.
The American Civil Liberties Union is calling for an investigation into its actions, KTRK-TV reported.
Prosecutors veiled their concerns over releasing offenders accused of everything from low-level misdemeanors to violent crimes. Four were facing aggravated robbery charges.
Criminal justice advocates were critical of Devlin's judgment.
"Judge Devlin appears to be abdicating the responsibility of any sitting juvenile judge," said Elizabeth Henneke of the Lone Star Justice Alliance, a group that works to get young people out of the justice system and into treatment programs.
A Chronicle investigation found that Devlin and another judge were responsible for more than one-fifth of children in the juvenile prisons last year.
He has been released, but they are still under supervision, Halpert said.
"He's not one of those who has never had an aggravated robbery," he told the paper. "But nobody has seen this before."
Alex Bunin, Harris County's chief public defender, was confused by Devlin's sudden leniency.
"I'm not sure that I can wrap my arms around what he's actually doing," he said. "It's a thing of the past that it has not been so much."
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