ABA Journal

Juvenile Justice

472 ABA Journal Juvenile Justice articles.

Judge Ernestine Gray created a model court that put New Orleans children and families first

“You are impacting lives in a critical way,” says Judge Ernestine Gray about working in juvenile court. “And if you are talking about children who are growing up, it’s going to help determine where they are in the future. I don’t want to look back and say, ‘If I had done X for this child, maybe they could’ve done great things.’ So in the moment where you are, do the good work.”

Many young people arrested for Chicago carjackings have been exposed to violence daily, lawyer and pastor says

As rises in Chicago carjackings continue to increase fear among many residents, Cliff Nellis, an attorney and pastor who founded the Lawndale Christian Legal Center, says his nonprofit group represents a fair amount of young people charged with the crime.

Arrests without formal charges or convictions no longer have to be disclosed by would-be lawyers in New York

The New York Supreme Court’s appellate division is whittling down the types of justice system involvement that would-be lawyers have to disclose when applying for bar admission. The changes are intended “to better promote equity and fairness in the character and fitness interview process.”

Federal judge faces probe after he orders handcuffing of 13-year-old girl in gallery in ‘scared straight’ approach

A federal judge faces an ethics probe initiated by the judiciary after a transcript indicated that he ordered the handcuffing of a 13-year-old girl during a probation revocation hearing for her father. The allegations are against Judge Roger Benitez.

South Carolina laws that prosecute kids for ‘disorderly’ conduct are unconstitutional, 4th Circuit says

A federal appeals court on Wednesday struck down two South Carolina laws that punish elementary and secondary school students who act “disorderly,” use “obscene” language or “act in an obnoxious manner” in or near a school.

Examining juvenile crime and punishment in songs

In the years since its initial release, “I Hung My Head” has been covered by both Johnny Cash and Bruce Springsteen. In fact, if you perform a Google search for the track’s title, it’s Cash’s version that appears first and foremost.

Judge accused of using role as charity trustee to donate money to courts, juvenile justice center

An ethics complaint has accused an Indiana judge of using his role as a sole trustee for a charitable foundation to pay for tile work and car purchases provided to local courts by his father’s companies.

Ex-judges ordered to pay more than $200M to victims of juvenile detention corruption scheme

A federal judge on Tuesday ordered two former Pennsylvania judges who orchestrated the “kids for cash” corruption scandal to pay more than $200 million to hundreds of their victims.

Appeals judge accused of excessive delays agrees to retire

The presiding justice of California’s Third District Court of Appeal has agreed to retire and accept a public admonishment to resolve ethics allegations that he “engaged in a pattern of delay” in deciding cases.

Child, 5, lacked intent for prosecution for alleged attack that sent teacher to hospital, experts say

Florida law provides that anyone suspected of a forcible felony, such as aggravated assault, can be prosecuted—no matter what their age is.

Thousands of confidential ethics and juvenile records are published online

A website called judyrecords.com has published thousands of confidential court records from across the nation, including private ethics records in California and juvenile court records from several states, according to reporting.

Illinois teen was coerced into false confession, family says; was unique state law violated?

An Illinois law that took effect in January bars police from lying to minors during interrogations, but it didn’t help a wrongfully accused juvenile, his lawyer says.

Martell Williams,…

Presume children will attend their dependency hearings, and help make it happen, ABA House urges

Government entities should enact, and courts should enforce, laws establishing a presumption of child presence in all dependency proceedings, the ABA House of Delegates urged Monday.

New Mexico has 1/3rd the number of public defenders necessary to meet caseload, study finds

The Law Offices of the Public Defender of the State of New Mexico only has one-third of the full-time attorneys it needs to handle its adult criminal and juvenile caseloads, according to a joint study by the ABA Standing Committee on Legal Aid and Indigent Defense and Seattle-based accounting and consulting firm Moss Adams.

Judge gives ‘Nirvana Baby’ ‘one last opportunity’ to revive lawsuit over child porn, trafficking claims

A federal judge in California has dismissed on a technicality the child pornography and sex trafficking claims of a man who appeared nude as a baby on the cover of rock band Nirvana’s 1991 grunge album Nevermind.

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