Date: September 11, 2007
Contact: Joe Stinebaker
Communications Director
713–755-4027
Joe.Stinebaker@cjo.hctx.net


NEWS RELEASE

COMMISSIONERS COURT EXTENDS
NIGHTTIME JUVENILE CURFEW FOR THREE YEARS
Proposal For Daytime Curfew Rejected

Members of Harris County Commissioners Court voted 4-1 Tuesday morning to extend the county’s nighttime juvenile curfew through September 2010, while rejecting a proposal to expand the curfew to school hours as well.

The county held three hearings to solicit public input before voting this afternoon. No speakers opposed the nighttime curfew, although the large majority opposed extending it to daytime hours.

Law-enforcement officials have reported issuing nearly 2,500 curfew-related citations in the past three years. Officers with the sheriff’s and constables’ offices have said the curfew allows them to stop and question suspicious juveniles during curfew hours.

Harris County’s juvenile curfew applies to youths under 17 years of age and extends from midnight to 6 a.m., seven days a week. The curfew contains exceptions for youths accompanied by a responsible adult, traveling to or from work, or attending school, church or family events.

Despite his support for the nighttime curfew, Emmett has consistently opposed any extension to daylight hours. Emmett and commissioners El Franco Lee, Steve Radack and Jerry Eversole voted to extend the nighttime curfew while opposing its extension to school hours. Commissioner Sylvia Garcia, who spoke in favor of an expanded daytime and nighttime curfew, voted against the proposal.

In other news, court members also held a closed executive session to discuss funding issues and other matters related to redevelopment of the Reliant Astrodome. Although court members took no official action on the redevelopment project, they were briefed on progress by the private Astrodome Redevelopment Corporation toward developing an 1,100-room hotel inside the ‘Dome.