The AP reports:
A panel of judges has apparently made Washington the first state to rule that juvenile students accused of chronically cutting classes in public schools are entitled to a lawyer in their first court hearing.
The Washington state Court of Appeals ruled Monday that denying a juvenile the right to a lawyer from the outset violated constitutional requirements.
Bellevue School District v. E. S., No. 60528-3 (Wash. App. Jan. 12, 2009)(“A proceeding to declare a child truant affects the child’s rights to liberty, privacy, and education. Due process requires that the child be afforded counsel.”)
