Criminal Justice (Juvenile Justice)

HB 5015 requires youth under a Michigan youth agency's care (public wards) who have been found responsible for specific crimes - including prostitution-related offenses (like MCL 750.451, 750.454, or 750.462) - to provide DNA samples and pay a $60 fee. The youth agency must collect these samples without the youth's consent or a court order, and the DNA profiles can only be used for law enforcement, court proceedings, or anonymized research. The fee covers costs for DNA profiling under Michigan's existing system, and youth already having a DNA sample from law enforcement is exempt. This bill directly affects minors in youth rehabilitation programs convicted of listed crimes.

HB 4174 modifies Michigan's juvenile justice code to establish a presumption that self-incriminating statements made by juveniles during police interrogations are admissible in court if obtained through deceptive practices (e.g., false promises of leniency or misleading statements about evidence). The bill directly affects juveniles under 18 facing delinquency proceedings and law enforcement officers who may use deceptive tactics during interrogations. Keyly, it amends the Probate Code to add Section 17e, shifting the standard so such statements are presumed admissible unless the court finds the deception was "unreasonably coercive." This changes current practice by making it harder to exclude statements obtained through deception, impacting how juvenile confessions are handled in court.