JUVENILE COURTS

I.          Juvenile Courts began over 100 years ago.

            A.        Industrialization and urbanization created social chaos.

            B.        Child savers advocated special courts for children.

                        1.         Part of Progressive Movement (1890-1929)

                        2.         Elite and middle-class reformers who wanted to help children

C.        Doctrine of parens patriae (state as parent) justifies government intervention.

            D.        Juvenile courts set up to differ from adult courts.

                        1.         Parens patriae justifies intervening to assist children

                        2.         Emphasis on helping rather than punishing

                        3.         Based on civil rather than criminal law

                        4.         Informal, secret proceedings

                        5.         No jury trials

II.        Juvenile court organization varies from state to state.

A.                 In some states, juvenile courts are a totally separate system.

B.                 In some jurisdiction, juvenile courts are part of a Family Court system.

C.                 A third variant is to have juvenile courts as a unit of trial courts.

D.                Impact of structure

1.                  Reformers advocate making it part of a Family Court system.

2.                  Structure probably has less impact that social environment.

III.       The age component of juvenile court jurisdiction

A.                 No consensus on minimum or maximum ages

B.                 Most states provide that on reaching eighteen, juvenile court has no jurisdiction.

C.                 Juveniles who commit serious offenses may be transferred to criminal court.

IV.       Subject matter jurisdiction of juvenile courts

A.                 Delinquency offenses are offenses that would also be crimes for adults.

B.                 Status offenses are offenses that can be committee by juveniles only.

C.                 Some courts also deal with child neglect and dependency.

V.        Due process in juvenile courts

            A.        Little due process for juveniles until U.S. Supreme Court intervention

                        1.         In re Gault (1967), due process applies to juvenile courts

2.         Recent conservative Supreme Courts have been less willing to expand the rights of juveniles.

3.         Federal Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act of 1974 mandated deinstitutionalization of status offenders.

            B.        Overall trend is to reduce differences between criminal and juvenile court.

VI.       Courtroom workgroups exist in juvenile court just as in criminal court.

A.                 Prior record, severity of offense and capabilities of parent important factors

B.                 Significant reliance on psychologists, social workers, etc.

C.                 Judges have wider discretion than in criminal court.

D.                Some jurisdictions use hearing officers rather than judges.

E.                 Prosecutors powerful, but juvenile court is not a high-status assignment.

F.                  Defense attorney’s secondary actors and frequently not utilized.

G.                Probation officers have roles similar to those in criminal court:

1.                  Prepare background reports

2.                  Supervise juveniles on probation

VII.     Step in Juvenile process

A.                 Offense

B.                 Arrest of summons

C.                 Intake or initial hearing

D.                Detention hearing

E.                 Intake decision

F.                  Filing petition (charges)

G.                Conference

H.                Gathering, sharing and suppressing evidence

I.                   Plea bargaining

J.                  Adjudicatory hearing (trial)

K.                Disposition hearing (sentencing)

L.                 Appeal

VIII.    The next 100 years of juvenile court

A.                 Debate over whether due process or crime control model should dominate

1.                  Crime control advocates stress more adult penalties.

2.                  Due process advocates (liberals) stress prevention and treatment.

B.                 Some even advocate abolition of juvenile court.