Why juveniles tried as adults

Disadvantages of Adult Criminal Court Some of the disadvantages for juveniles in adult court include the following: The juvenile is subject to more severe sentences. Judges in adult court do not have the wide range of punishment and treatment options that are available to juvenile court judges—such as imposing a curfew or ordering counseling instead of jail time.

The juvenile may have to serve time in adult jail or prison, rather than in juvenile detention centers. A conviction in adult criminal court carries more social stigma than a juvenile court judgment does. Adult criminal records are harder to seal than juvenile court records—sealing or "expunging" records makes them unavailable to the public. Talk to a Lawyer Start here to find criminal defense lawyers near you. Practice Area Please select Zip Code.

How it Works Briefly tell us about your case Provide your contact information Choose attorneys to contact you. Legal Information. Criminal Law Information. Proof and Defenses in Criminal Cases. Getting a Lawyer for your Criminal Case. Steps in a Criminal Defense Case. Arraignment: Your First Court Appearance. Plea Bargains in a Criminal Case. Legal Elements of Common Crimes. Expungement and Criminal Records. Should I just plead guilty and avoid a trial?

Is the public defender a real lawyer? Can I change defense lawyers after I've hired one? How long after arrest do I find out what the charges are? See All Common Questions. Related Products More. Criminal Law: A Desk Reference. Legal Research. The Criminal Law Handbook. Research suggests that exposure to violence can lead to issues with development in youth. Parents and family members of system-involved youth are systematically excluded from the adult court process — they are not given meaningful opportunities to help determine what happens to their children.

The inability to participate fully while their loved one is going through the system can be mentally and emotionally harmful to families. In addition, contact with the justice system often entails exorbitant expenses that can worsen family poverty.

The economic burden of legal fees, court costs, restitution payments, and visitation expenses can have disastrous and long-lasting financial consequences for families.

Share this: Facebook. Subscribe to our updates Sign Up. Subscribe to Research Updates. Advocacy Alerts. Health Equity Capacity Building Updates. In short, juveniles who did not kill or intend to kill are less blameworthy for their crime than an adult would be and, therefore, they cannot be held to the same extreme standards. Two years later, in Miller, the Court went a step further and decided it is unconstitutional to require juveniles be sentenced to life in prison for any offense if they are not given a meaningful opportunity for release.

Two separate cases, one in Alabama and one in Arkansas, involved 14 year olds convicted of murder. Both states had laws that required anyone convicted of first-degree murder to be sentenced to life in prison without parole.

Justice Elena Kagan wrote the opinion, stating that because the sentencing judges did not have the discretion to impose a different punishment, the sentences were unconstitutional.

These cases were successful in curbing the harshest punishments for juveniles and affirming that juvenile offenders are different than adults convicted of similar crimes. However, state legislatures still have wide discretion to impose harsh sentences that fall just short of life in prison.

For example, in Florida the mandatory minimum for first degree murder is still 40 years in prison until the offender is eligible for release. Reforms such as the Juvenile Justice Reform Act are a step in the right direction to reforming the juvenile system, but it is ultimately still up to the states to treat children differently in sentencing. If states want to receive federal grant funding through the JJRA, they have to implement the new standards.

Otherwise, it may take more than money to compel states to treat juveniles as children instead of criminals. Main Menu Navigation. View Primary Menu Search. Translate page with Google. Caroline Ford Pulitzer Center Alum.

Supreme Court Precedents In the last 15 years, three U. Brian Frank Grantee.