Juveniles Without Justice

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Recommended: History and development of the juvenile justice system

Juveniles Without Justice The Supreme Court has helped shaped the Juvenile Justice System for over fifty years but began to take its biggest effect in the 1960s. They make sure that the law is applied the same to everyone based on their legal status and have a great influence on American society. Kent vs. United States was the first major juvenile case heard by the Supreme Court. In the case a minor by the name of Morris Kent Jr. was charged with rape and robbery. Kent was taken into custody without his parents being informed, there was no legal counsel present during the interrogation, jurisdiction was waived, and there was no hearing before any motions were made. Lastly, he was held in custody for a week without reason or a trial and recommendations were made to the judge while the defendant’s counsel was not present. In 1967 Gerald Francis Gault came before the Supreme Court after making an appeal to the 9th Circuit. Gault was charged with making lewd phones calls to a female neighbor. As a result of his actions he was sentenced to the State Industrial School. During the court procedures record of a hearing was not made, no one was sworn at that hearing, there was no explanation given for his detention, the defendant was not served for petition that was filed, and the court failed to inform Gault of hearings. McKeiver vs. Pennsylvania took place in 1971. Joseph McKeiver, the juvenile in this case, requested for a jury based on the argument that they were tried in proceedings “substantially similar to a criminal trial” (Parry 105). The rights provided by the fourteenth amendment were in question. Lastly, the most recent major juvenile case that was heard by the highest court was Roper vs. Simmons in 2005. Christopher Simmons,... ... middle of paper ... ...tz. "REFLECTIONS ON JUDGES, JURIES, AND JUSTICE: ENSURING THE FAIRNESS OF JUVENILE DELINQUENCY TRIALS." Wake Forest Law Review Association, Inc., 33 Wake Forest L. Rev. 553. Fall, 1998.Web.10Nov.2013.. DeNunzio, Dionne. "STUDENT CASENOTE: Roper v. Simmons." LexisNexis Academic. Ohio Northern University Law Review. 32 Ohio N.U.L. Rev. 369. 2006.Web.10Nov.2013.. Lane, Charles. "5-4 Supreme Court Abolishes Juvenile Executions." The Washington Post. N.p., 2 Mar. 2005. Web. 10 Nov. 2013. .

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