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Abstract
The juvenile court system has many of the actors as the adult justice system. They have
prosecutors and a defense counsel. The traditional juvenile court was tasked with charging
juveniles and sending them off to facilities, however, over the years the outlook on juvenile
detention has changed and there has been a realization that locking juveniles up is
counterproductive because it hinders the individual much more than it helps. A juvenile detainee
must pay their debt to society, but the system has figured out ways to help them do this and still
help the juvenile by finding different methods of punishment. Many are sent to counseling or
given community service. The actors within this system are there to make sure the treatment is
fair and that the juveniles best interest is being exercised.
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Juvenile Courtroom Actors
There are multiple aspects and factors to adolescent court procedures. The court
procedures for adolescents include an investigator, safeguard and the adolescent. According to
Birckhead, the responsibility of the defense counsel must be an advocate for justice, a negotiator,
as well as an advisor. This is a system made to help individuals stray away from the adult
criminal justice system thus while it has some similarities with the adult system, it is operated
differently as the perspective is always to help rehabilitate or put the juvenile in a positive
situation where they can learn and thrive.
Legal proceedings are started by the prosecutor who has interest in charges against the
juvenile for the welfare and safety of the community. The job of the prosecutor is to have the
community’s best interest at heart. They also must ensure that the victim of the crime gets the
justice they deserve. The victims of a crime are also in the known about the case, the prosecutor
and their office is also in charge of keeping them in the known about the details of the case, they
will get notified of the decision of the case, dispositions and their changes, and they can even
attend hearings and such. Juvenile cases are automatically handled by a prosecutor, and they will
decide the fate of the case. A lot of times, the cases are settled outside of a courtroom but if it
does go to court, it was at the discretion of the prosecutor. Police officers can make referrals to
the prosecutor on what to do with the case but ultimately it is their decision and they do not have
to give a reasoning behind their actions (Seven et al., 2018).
Another major actor in the juvenile courtroom process is the defense counsel, so what is
the defense counsel? “The defense counsel is the legal representation for the offender in all
processing, supervisions, mental assessments, transfer issues, probation, custody, among other
tasks that are related to treatment within the proceedings” (Cox et al., 2018). Defense counsels
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have a very unique job, and it does not come easy. They are appointed by the court, or the client
chooses their defense counsel, there sole mission is to represent the offender and express what is
the best course of action for their client. This could mean accepting whatever deal a prosecutor
may offer. The juvenile defense counselor is allocated the role to do what is best and they serve
as the primary decision makers (Neubauer & Fradella, 2018). The relationship between attorney
and client is one that is sacred and honored in juvenile court just as it is in the adult court system.
Juveniles have the same confidentiality rights as adults. Even though they are juvenile, parents
do not have the right to see their children’s defense counsel files, notes or any documentation
pertaining to the case against their juvenile. The defense counsel must do their best to paint their
client in the best light, so they must consider their client’s educational background, family,
developmental issues, and other possible triggers that may assist in explaining the reasoning
behind their current legal dilemma.
A judge holds the highest power in the courtroom, but they still must follow the rules and
regulations set forth by the constitution. “The juvenile court judge is seen as the most powerful
and central figure in the juvenile system” (Cox et al., 2018). The judge also has the decision-
making power to decide whether a juvenile is adjudicated. (Cox et al., 2018). They will decide if
the juvenile needs intervention, if they are neglected or if they are abused and make decisions
based on those factors. Judges who rule in juvenile courts must also consider the comfort and
accessibility of the case to that juvenile. They also oversee custody issues and depending on the
circumstances must decide what the best arrangement is for the child and where or with who that
may be. They are there to have to act on the best interest of the juveniles that appear in their
courtrooms. In the courthouse, there are also clerks and deputies who help with the upkeep of
transcripts and the security and safety of those who are employed at the courthouse along with its
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guests. Security in courthouses is a huge deal as many criminals see these outings as possibilities
to misbehave and cause trouble.
The juvenile court system has two different types of judges, the lawgiver judge and the
parent figure judge. Both judges have their own avenues in which they work with but they both
play important roles within the juvenile justice system. “The juvenile court judge that serves
juvenile courts regularly may find themselves being a parent figure judge, which is often
genuinely concerned about the juvenile and wellbeing when they come before the court” (Cox et
al., 2018). The judges who work in juvenile courts tend to have to take on both roles, the
lawgiver and the parent figure as their job is to do what is in the best interest of the juvenile and
that may be a law response or a parent like response to deter future issues. Under the parent
figure judges, there is a tendency to have juveniles be placed under supervision for a certain
amount of time (Cox et al., 2018). While the lawgiver judge will sentence according to the law
and what crime may have been committed. A judge’s intentions should be to deter future crime,
but that judge must consider all the evidence given to make the correct choice, one that will not
only be in the best interest of the juvenile but of the possible victims as well. While a juvenile
court must use the law, rules and procedures, they are granted discretion in their rulings, but they
still must do what is best for the juvenile.
The lawgiver judge is solely focused on procedure and following it to make the best
decision in the case, this type of judge takes the evidence collected and decides based on the
facts of the case. “A lawgiver judge will create a disposition on statutory requirements rather
than the personal characteristics of the parties” (Cox et al., 2018). While the goal of juvenile
court justice is to make sure the juvenile is being guided in a way that is in their best interest but
that victims are also getting justice, it is a given that the best decision is not always guaranteed.
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Victims may feel cheated of justice when a juvenile delinquent is not sent to a juvenile facility or
if they feel like the punishment for their crimes was not equal to the duress which they may have
experienced due to the transgression against them.
Biblical Worldview
Biblically, God is the judge of all judges. In Matthew 7:1, the bible reads, “Do not judge,
or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with
the measure you use, it will be measured to you.” In the book of Isaiah 33:22, the bible also
states, “for the Lord is our judge, the Lord is our lawgiver, the Lord is our king; it is he who will
save us. Second of Corinthians 5:10 reads, “for we must all appear before the judgment seat of
Christ, so that each of us may receive what is due to us for the things done while in the body,
whether good or bad.” So, we all will be judged for our actions at some point in time, this
includes the actions of the lawmakers and prosecutors of this earth along with the judges who
make the final decisions about the lives of many.
In conclusion, there are many actors in the juvenile judicial system, and they take many
roles to ensure that justice is being served in criminal issues and that the juvenile’s best interest is
being taken into account in all procedural events. In non-criminal cases, juveniles’ emotional
competence along with their personality, home situation and environment will be considered
when making decisions for that individual. All the decisions should be made with the intent to
provide a better avenue to a better future. The goal is to guide the individual away from possible
trouble and provide them with a better future. We will be judged plenty while on Earth but
ultimately it is only God who has the final say so in our fate.
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References
Birckhead, T.R. (2017). The racialization of juvenile justice ad the role of the defense
attorney. BCL Rev., 58, 359.
Coz, S.M., Allen, J.M., Hanser, R.D., & Conrad, J.J. (2018). Juvenile Justice: A Guide to Theory
Policy, and Practice (9th ed) SAGE.
Fairchild, A.J., Gupta-Kagan,J. & Andersen, T.S. (2019). Operationalizing intake: Various in
juvenile court intake procedures and their implications. Children and Your
Services Review
Scofield, C. I. (1995). The holy bible: Containing the old and new testaments. Christian Heritage.
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