North Liberty considering change to juvenile curfew ordinance

The North Liberty City Council last night approved the second reading of a proposed amendment that would make changes to the language of the city's juvenile curfew ordinance.

The changes would be made to the section regarding the responsibility of adults for the actions of minors. The changes are intended to assure that the ordinance is in accordance with a 2009 Iowa Supreme Court ruling that overturned Davenport's parental responsibility ordinance because it denied a defendant due process.

The current wording of North Liberty's ordinance states that it is unlawful for a responsible adult “knowingly to permit or to allow a minor” to be in a public place after the curfew. The proposed change would make it unlawful for a responsible adult “to fail to exercise reasonable control of a minor that permits or allows the minor” to be in a public place after the curfew.

“These revisions reflect, I believe, changes that are necessary in light of that decision, while maintaining the intent of the ordinance,” North Liberty City Attorney Scott Peterson said during the first reading of the ordinance.

Curfew rules in other Eastern Iowa cities use language that's similar to North Liberty's current ordinance. Iowa City's ordinance states that it is unlawful for a parent or guardian “knowingly to permit or by ineffective control to allow the minor to be in violation” of the ordinance.

In Cedar Rapids, the ordinance states that it is unlawful if a parent or guardian “knowingly permits, or by insufficient control allows, the minor” to be in a public place after the curfew.

North Liberty's council will vote on the final reading of the amendment at the next council meeting on June 28. Last night's vote was unanimous with one member absent.