| Juvenile Crime Paper | CJS200 Tony Sanders | | | 12/2/2012 | | Juvenile Court is a court that has special jurisdiction over delinquent and dependent children usually up to the age of eighteen (www.merriam-webster.com). Juvenile courts handle civil matters, usually concerning the care of a child or one whose parents cannot provide for them and criminal matters arising from antisocial behavior by the child. The differences between an adult court and juvenile court are that juveniles do not get judged in front of a jury like in criminal courts. Furthermore Juveniles cannot get bail as they can in (www.lawcollective.org). With my own experience in the juvenile court system I got sent to a shelter care in Salisbury
Hold minor until parent comes Law enforcement handle minors differently according to age and crime. Crimes committed by youth may not always warrant arrest but notification of parent. Police will notify parent that the youth has participated in a criminal act. The police will release the minor to his parents. C. Refer to juvenile court The police officer may also place the juvenile in custody and refer the case to juvenile court.
The courts put in place to reform the child rather than to serve sentence as justice. Juvenile delinquency is an individual under the age of eighteen and considered a minor that is declared by legal terms to lack the responsibility and cannot be sentenced as an adult. Some examples will be if a child drinks, he or she could be charged, skipping school, practicing sexual activities, or breaking curfew. Status offenders are offenders that are minors that commit a crime that is only written for children. One example is when a child runs away, the child has committed a crime versus an adult running away from home.
Juvenile Delinquency Jamiela Flournoy CJA/204 November 25, 2013 Chris Cannon Juvenile Delinquency “In its simplest definition, crime is any specific act prohibited by law for which society has provided a formally sanctioned punishment” (Roberts, 2013). Crimes that are considered juvenile are crimes that are also committed by an adult. Crimes such as robbery, murder, rape, larceny, battery, or any other crime that an individual can be tried and convicted for is considered a juvenile crime. They are put into categories of misdemeanors and felonies just as an adult, but dependent upon the age of the child will determine the punishment of the crime. Prior to the development of juvenile courts children were treated and housed with adult offenders.
From the Cradle to the Courthouse In “Should Juvenile Offenders be tried as Adults,” Laurence Steinberg argues that juveniles think, act, and comprehend mentally on different level than adults. In “Adult Crime, Adult Time,” Linda Collier argues that juveniles are treated well by the American judicial system despite the very violent crimes that some of them commit. Some states believe that criminal acts committed by society’s youth should not be the only factor considered when deciding the punishment for the crime. Recent policy changes have shifted the view of many people. The changes in policies are the laws that govern the treatment of juveniles.
Even though this presumption applies in all Australian criminal jurisdictions, it may be rebutted by proof that the child understood the wrongfulness of the action they have committed. Under Australian law children achieve the age of criminal responsibility when they reach fourteen years of age. This implies that children age fourteen and older are considered to be old enough to commit a criminal act (actus reas) and also criminal intent (mens rea). 2. Explian why young offenders are treated differently in teh criminal justice system: less maturity - less ability to see the difference between right and wrong - more easily influenced by other people - chance to change how a youth views these bad things, while its too late for adults - gives a chance to preserve the inoccence in that child and gives them anoter chance to become a good person - the circumstances in their lives may have a LARGE affect on the bad choices they have made.
Evaluate the effectiveness of the criminal justice system in dealing with young offenders. Young offenders are those offenders that are between the ages of 10-18 and are considered to be less responsible for their actions than adults. The criminal justice system tries to provide just penalties for juvenile offenders in NSW through mediation processes attempting to achieve rehabilitation and eliminate the chances of recidivism. Juvenile justice is impacted by significant factors such as the age of criminal responsibility, alternatives to court punishing and punishment options. Even though juvenile justice is given a lot of significance and there is an existing juvenile justice system within NSW, it is only partially effective in providing just penalties for juvenile offenders.
Even though teenagers are minors they still have constitutional rights. Curfew laws violate the First Amendment, which is protection of freedom of speech and association. They also violate “equal protection” under the Fifth Amendment as well as “unreasonable searches and due process” under the Fourth Amendment. Innocent teenagers are turned into criminals and people start to think all teenagers are bad. Police will be spending too much time tracking down teenagers past curfew instead of real criminals.
Juveniles under the legal age of eighteen years old are subjected to special juvenile laws when being accused of or arrested for a crime. A child that is taken into custody for a supposed crime must be taken to a juvenile detention center and may be released to guardians or parents upon a promise to reappear in court and an authorization of release made by a judge. Family plays an important role in the apprehension and sentencing of juveniles, as they are not considered adults. Family involvement can have a colossal impact on how a juvenile absorbs the consequences for his or her
The fact that some crimes are committed by individuals who are not yet mature enough to vote, drive, or even drink should not be ignored. Punishment for an adult can be unfair when applied to a child in some cases, especially when they don’t understand the consequences of their actions. When it comes to judgment of these crimes it should vary on a case to case basis. It should be taken into account whether the defendant’s crime was malicious, accidental or they could not understand the magnitude of their actions. Juvenile offenders should be tried and punished as adults do to the nature of the crime.