Live Q&As

The date will be determined by the County's Council passage of the bill. However,  I want it as soon as possible.  The legislation usually would become effective 90 days after passage, unless stated otherwise.

The law usually assumes that an 18 year old is considered an adult.  In our society, we make a number of assumptions about people under the age of 18:  voting, driving, smoking, drinking, military service etc.  It is not to suggest that someone over the age of 18 would be more or less responsible but these guidelines have become acceptable community norms within our society.

Thank you for your comment.

The problem is not just the government's problem, but the entire community's problem.    The message is that we care about our kids, their safety, and the broader community's concern about irresponsible conduct.  This is a difficult balance, but I believe that providing a curfew is not an over reach by our government.

Ideally, Montgomery County would implement a curfew law that is identical to the District of Columbia and Prince George's County.  However, those two curfew laws are different from each other.  Unfortunately, the fact that there is a curfew in the District and in Prince George's County makes Montgomery County a location where large numbers of underaged juveniles can congregate without violating the law.

That is always a judgement that our law enforcement personnel are trained to make based on a variety of factors.  This is no different than when an officer responds to a situation where an underaged individual is driving, drinking or smoking.   Officers make decisions based on the totality of the circumstances, including appearance, identification, statements from witnesses, etc.

There are a number of exceptions to the bill that I  hope you go online to review.  For attending late-night movies, the exception would cover those in the theater at the time the curfew begins,but  not individuals who attend movies that begin after the start of the curfew.

It is my expectation that our young people will obey the law as intended.  We will continue to monitor implementation to ensure compliance.  If we need to modify the bill to address some of the concerns of implementation we will address that later.  This bill is not a panacea for all of the concerns regarding underaged juveniles but would be a usefull tool for our police.

There are ways that Police Officers can monitor and followup to determine if they are actually on their way home and have arrived home.  It also gives the Officer a tool to direct an underaged person to go home and if they do not comply, they will be given a citation.  Again, this bill is not a panacea to all of the challenges with young people out late at night.  But it can, however, help.  I strongly believe that the vast majority of our young people will comply with the law as intended.

Where a person appears to be underaged after the hours and does not fall under one of the exceptions, an officer may reasonably question the person's age and status.  The law provides an affirmative defense for someone who falls within one of the exceptions.  It is the responsibility of the government to prove that someone is underage.  In a few cases, a police officer may stop somone who appears to be under the age of 18 but who is not.  That is no different than situations involving persons who appear to be underaged- but are not- and who may be questioned when driving, drinking, or purchasing tobacco products.

This legislation is intended as an ongoing measure, not a temporary one.  But as with any legislation, we have the option to later modify, sunset to a time certain or repeal it all together if we believe the public's interest would be better served by such action.