On July 31, 2015, the Department of Justice Civil Rights Division issued historic Findings in the Investigation of the St. Louis Family Court stating that there is reason to believe that the St. Louis Family Court engages in conduct that violates the constitutional guarantees of Due Process and Equal Protection under the law. Citing the National Juvenile Defender…
Topic Archive: Racial & Ethnic Disparity (RED)
New York Resources
Juvenile Delinquency: Legal Updates and Overview Brief Outline of JD Proceedings An overview of Juvenile Delinquency Proceedings JD Overview for Defenders In-depth analysis of stages of JD proceedings and explication of the role of the attorney representing the child Case Checklist A handy checklist to prepare a delinquency case Case Updates (Jan. 2013 – mid-…
It Could Be a New Era in Juvenile Justice
And We Need to Take Advantage of It Just Juvenile 6/30/14 Western JDC post There were two presentations of note in Washington last month addressing juvenile justice reform. They should spark some reform in the way juvenile courts view youth and in the way defenders advocate for their clients. Both conferences were informational sessions for…
Special Initiative: Racial and Ethnic Disparities
As a part of the Special Initiative, NJDC is exploring the interplay between juvenile indigent defense and racial and ethnic disparities. Contrary to the over-representation of youth of color in the juvenile delinquency system, attorneys of color are underrepresented in the juvenile indigent defense field. This under-representation is not necessarily due to a lack of…
National Juvenile Defense Standards
The National Juvenile Defense Standards represent a comprehensive understanding of the role and duties of the juvenile defender in the 21st century juvenile court system, and seek to strengthen and guide the ethical and professional performance of the juvenile defense attorney. The Standards present a national approach to systematizing zealous, competent and diligent defense practice in juvenile court…
DOJ & Juvenile Court of Memphis and Shelby County
The Report In 2012, the Department of Justice issued a report finding that the Juvenile Court of Memphis and Shelby County (TN) failed to provide constitutionally required due process to children of all races and that the court’s administration of justice discriminates against black children. Further, it found that the court had violated the substantive…
Racial and Ethnic Disparities (RED)
RED is a term used to signify the overwhelmingly disproportionate number of minority youth and youth of color that come into contact with the juvenile justice system, in comparison to white youth, at all stages of the proceedings, including arrest. While NJDC believes that front-line defenders can and should play a role in reducing these…
State Assessments
A cornerstone of the National Juvenile Defender Center’s work is to understand how juvenile defense is delivered around the country and to support excellence in the provision of those services. As part of that work, NJDC conducts state-specific assessments of youth access to, and the quality of, juvenile defense counsel when they come in contact…