HB254 (Plea in Abeyance Amendments)

HB254 would expand access to justice for indigent defendants, allowing those who can't pay fees to qualify for a plea in abeyance. Pleas in abeyance are important mechanisms in our criminal legal system that allow defendants to have their case dismissed if they meet certain conditions. Access to a life without a record should not be based on someone's ability to pay. This bill also limits prosecutor's discretion and requires that a plea in abeyance be offered to young people who are charged with certain petty crimes and have no other criminal history, like minors who unlawfully possess alcohol.