SEALED JUVENILE RECORD REFERENCES

HB 78 allows parties to reference sealed juvenile records in specific legal proceedings. It permits referring to the existence and contents of sealed juvenile records in written pleadings for pretrial detention hearings, release condition hearings, or sentencing hearings related to felony charges. This exception applies only when the court has prior notice and is limited to those exact proceedings. The bill does not change the general rule that sealed records should be treated as if they never existed. It directly affects prosecutors, defense attorneys, and courts handling felony cases where a defendant has a sealed juvenile history.