Juvenile Justice System Overview

Juvenile Justice System

• Best Interest of the Child: Guiding principle, primary focus of juvenile courts.
• Juvenile Delinquency: Violations of law by juveniles.
• Juvenile Court Act of 1899: Established America's first Juvenile Court in Chicago.
• Juvenile Delinquency Prevention Act of 1968: Federal law for community-level responses to delinquency.
• Parens Patriae: Government's power to provide guardianship for those needing care.
• Deinstitutionalization: Process of moving institutional residents (like state hospitals) into the community.
• Waiver: Transferring a juvenile to adult court, denying special juvenile court treatment.
• Breed v. Jones (1975): Extended Double Jeopardy protection to juveniles regarding transfer to adult court.
• In Re Gault (1967): Juveniles in juvenile court must receive due process rights (similar to adults, but not all).
• In Re Winship (1970): Evidentiary standard for juveniles is "beyond a reasonable doubt."
• McKeiver v. Pennsylvania (1971): Juveniles aren't entitled to jury trials in juvenile court.
• Schall v. Martin (1984): Upheld pre-trial detention of juveniles considered a serious community risk.

Criminal Justice System

• Crime Control Model: Emphasis on aggressive crime suppression.
• Due Process Model: Emphasis on protecting civil liberties.
• Doctrine of Proportionality: Punishment should fit the crime.
• Extralegal Factors: Factors outside the law (e.g., race).
• Informal Diversion: Removing someone from the system without a conviction.
• Parole Board: Decides if a prisoner can be released on parole.
• Policy: Guiding principles of an organization.
• Politicized: Made political.
• Politics: Activities and debates surrounding government.
• Preponderance of the Evidence: Evidentiary standard in civil cases.
• Sheriff: Chief law enforcement officer of a county.
• Static: Unchanging; in this context, usually referring to unchanging factors that could contribute to discrimination.
• Fourth Amendment: Protects against unreasonable searches and seizures.
• Fifth Amendment: Protects against self-incrimination, double jeopardy.
• Sixth Amendment: Right to counsel.
• American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU): Nonprofit focused on preserving civil liberties.
• Article III: Establishes the Supreme Court and its court system.
• Standing: Requirement that only harmed parties can sue.

Criminal Justice Theories and Practices

• Rational Choice Theory: People choose actions based on costs/benefits.
• Deterrence: Punishment prevents future crime (specific/general).
• Severity: Punishment should offset pleasure of crime.
• Certainty: Punishment must be relatively sure to be effective.
• Celerity: Swiftness of punishment.
• Culpable Mental State: Mental state required for criminal blame.
• Incapacitation: Removing an offender's ability to commit crimes.
• Rehabilitation: Restoring an offender to a non-criminal state.
• Restitution: Money paid to crime victims.
• Drug Courts: Specialized courts focusing on drug offenses and rehabilitation.
• Disproportionate Minority Contact: Minority youths more likely to encounter the justice system (likely caused by systemic and individual racism).
• Racial Discrimination: Unequal treatment based on race.
• Racism: Belief that some races are superior.
• Individual Racism: Racism based on one's personal attitudes and beliefs.
• Institutional Racism: Racial inequalities from institutional policies.
• Fair Sentencing Act of 2010: Reduced sentencing disparity for crack vs. powder cocaine.
• Recidivism: Relapse into criminal behavior.

Court Decisions and Philosophy

• Marbury v. Madison (1803): Established judicial review.
• Moot: A legal case where further action has no practical effect.
• Judicial Activism: Decisions based on personal belief/politics, not law.
• Judicial Restraint: Decisions based on existing law, not personal beliefs.
• Liberal Decisions: Decisions upholding civil rights over order.
• Conservative Decisions: Decisions aligning with crime control.
• Conservative/Liberal: Political viewpoints.
• Limited Jurisdiction: Courts with authority over specific cases.
• Warren Court (1953-1969): Known for the Civil Rights Revolution, very liberal (Earl Warren).
• Burger Court (1969-1986): Presiding Justice Warren Burger era of the Supreme Court.
• Rehnquist Court (1986-2005): Very conservative (William Rehnquist).
• Gideon v. Wainwright (1963): Established right to counsel for indigent defendants.
• Miranda v. Arizona (1966): Required police warnings before custodial interrogations.
• Mapp v. Ohio (1961): Exclusionary rule extended to state courts.
• Wolf v. Colorado (1949): Exclusionary rule not constitutionally required in state courts.
• Furman v. Georgia (1972): Effectively made the death penalty unconstitutional.
• Gregg v. Georgia (1976): Upheld the death penalty.
• Terry v. Ohio (1968): Established reasonable suspicion standard for stops and frisks.
• Chimel v. California (1969): Limited search incident to arrest.
• California v. Greenwood (1988): No warrant needed to search garbage outside the home.
• Maryland v. Garrison (1987): "Good faith" exception to exclusionary rule.
• Right to Counsel: Sixth Amendment guarantee of legal representation.
• Justice Anthony Kennedy: Swing vote, appointed by President Ronald Reagan.
• Justice Elena Kagan/Justice Sonia Sotomayor/Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg/Justice Stephen Breyer: Appointed justices with generally liberal/moderate voting patterns.
• Good Faith Exception: Allows use of illegally obtained evidence if police acted reasonably.

Test your knowledge on the key principles and laws surrounding the juvenile justice system. From the best interest of the child to landmark court cases, explore the foundational concepts that guide juvenile courts. This quiz covers important acts and concepts such as delinquency, due process rights, and waivers.