Chapter 13 Flashcards
An independent juvenile court is a specialized court for
children
An independent juvenile court promotes …and ensures procedural due process and acts both in the best interest of the…and…
rehabilitation; child; public protection
In 2011, approximately…delinquent cases were referred to juvenile court
1.236 million
…of delinquent cases involve males; …involved females
72%; 19%
…of delinquent cases involved African American youth
33%
Courts must provide counsel to…who face the possibility of incarceration
indigent youth
Role of defense attorney is to
help clarify jurisdictional problems, decide if there is sufficient evidence to file formal petition, outline position, explore informal adjustment opportunities, play critical role in disposition and pursue appeals if needed
Guardian ad litem (GAL)
A court-appointed attorney who protects the interests of the child in cases involving the child’s welfare.
Guardian ad litem (GAL) is seen in
abuse, neglect, and dependency cases
Guardian ad litem is appointed in delinquency cases if there is a need for
treatment
Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) are volunteers who:
advise court about child placement
Three ways to ensure public defense for juveniles:
All public defender program
Appointed private-counsel system
A combination of the two
The prosecutor is responsible for…and has the power to…
bringing state’s case against accused juvenile; to initiate or discontinue delinquency or status offenses cases
Juvenile court judge is the…character in the juvenile court
central
Parens patriae
The power of the state to act on behalf of the child and provide care and protection equivalent to that of a parent.
Duties of a juvenile court judge include:
Ruling on pretrial motionsDeciding about continued detention of juvenile Accepting or rejecting plea-bargaining agreementsHandle trials, rule on evidence/procedures, guide questioning of witnessesAssume responsibility for holding disposition hearing Handle waiver proceedingsHandle appeals when needed
Many decisions are made during the pretrial process and the juvenile trial and disposition:
Whether to waive youths to the adult courtWhether to treat them in the community or send them to a secure treatment center
The attorney for the social services agency presents an overview of the case, and a plea bargain or negotiated settlement can be agreed to in a consent decree.
pretrial conference
The social service agency presents its case plan and recommendations for care of the child and treatment of the parents, including incarceration and counseling or other treatment.
disposition hearing
After custody and formal petition, the decision must be made to
release or detain
Detention involves placing juvenile in
temporary care of state in a physically restrictive setting
Detention is limited to juveniles who require
secure custody for protection of self or others
Dependent, neglected, and abused youths are often housed with
status offenders and delinquents in detention
Current efforts seek to remove status offenders from
secure detention
A New Jersey study found that..of detained youths were inappropriately detained
¼
…in…juvenile arrests result in detention
one in five
The typical detainee is
MaleOver 16 Charged with violent crime
Detention increases risk of being
adjudicated
…youths are more likely to be detained, especially if they are from lower-class areas
Minority
To detain, there must be clear evidence of probable cause that the
child has committed the offense and will flee if not detained
Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act (JJDPA 1974)
Prohibits detention of juveniles in adult jails and lockupsProhibits the detention of status offenders in secure confinement
Juveniles in most states…have constitutional right to bail
do not
Preventative detention is allowed per
Schall vs. Martin (June 4, 1984)
preventive detention
Keeping the accused in custody prior to trial, because the accused is suspected of being a danger to the community.
Screening of cases by juvenile court system determines whether
Determine whether juvenile court services are needed
Sending the youth home with no further action Diverting the youth to a social agencyPetitioning the youth to juvenile courtDetaining the youth
Common actions in the intake process
Problems with intake:
Lacks consistency regarding the formal criteria for processing
Legal issues in the intake process:
Whether the child has a right to counselWhether the child is protected against self-incrimination To what degree the child needs to consent to nonjudicial disposition
Intake dispositions are often determined by…rather than the seriousness of the crime or social background of the child
the prior record
…has been shown to influence intake decisions
race
Diversion (juvenile)
the process of placing youths suspected of law-violating behavior into treatment programs prior to formal trial and disposition to minimize their penetration into the justice system and thereby avoid stigma and labeling
Youths chosen for the diversion program are usually
first-time nonviolent offenders, status offenders, drug or alcohol-dependent youths
“widening the net”
Phenomenon that occurs when programs created to divert youths from the justice system actually involve them more deeply in the official process.