Name the important U.S. Supreme Court decisions of relevance to juvenile justice. What was the impact of each of these decisions on juvenile justice in America?

Question

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

• The seven U.S. Supreme Court decisions of most relevance to the handling of juveniles by the justice system are: (1) Kent v. U.S. (1966), which established minimal due-process standards for juvenile hearings; (2) In re Gault (1967), in which the Court found that a child has many of the same due-process rights as an adult; (3) In re Winship (1970), which held that the constitutional safeguard of proof beyond a reasonable doubt is required during the adjudicatory stage of a delinquency proceeding; (4) McKeiver v. Pennsylvania (1971), which held that jury trials were not required in delinquency cases; (5) Breed v. Jones (1975), which restricted the conditions under which transfers from juvenile to adult court may occur; (6) Schall v. Martin (1984), in which the Court held that pretrial detention of juveniles based on "serious risk" does not violate due process, although prior notice, an equitable detention hearing, and a statement by the juvenile court judge explaining the reasons for detention are required; and (7) Roper v. Simmons (2005), which held that age is a bar to capital punishment when the offender commits a capital crime when he or she is younger than age 18.