Prosecutors Detain Alleged Rape Victim to Ensure Her Presence In Court

The detention of a 17-year-old alleged rape victim by Sacramento County, Calif., prosecutors has drawn protests from victims’ rights advocates and the girl’s lawyer. Prosecutors say the girl’s detention is necessary to ensure that she appears in court to testify against the man she accuses of raping her. But victims’…

Apr 16, 2012 9:55 PM CDT

80 Years In Prison For 17-Year-Old Armed Robber Is Unconstitutional, Fla. Appeals Court Holds

A Florida appeals court has held that an 80-year prison sentence for a 17-year-old armed robber is unconstitutional. The Tallahassee-based 1st District Court of Appeal said in a ruling (PDF) Thursday that such a sentence is the functional equivalent of a life-without-parole sentence, which the U.S. Supreme Court in 2010…

Apr 13, 2012 7:27 PM CDT

First-Degree Murder Trial Begins for Defendant, 16, Charged in Slaying of Pittsburgh Law Student

Jury selection took place Monday and opening arguments began Tuesday in the trial of a 16-year-old being prosecuted as an adult in Pennsylvania in the slaying of a 28-year-old law student. James Wallmuth III was shot to death in York on July 28, 2010 in what the government contends was…

Apr 3, 2012 4:26 PM CDT

Justices Question Mandatory Life-Without-Parole Sentences for Juveniles

Supreme Court justices weighing the constitutionality of life-without-parole sentences for juveniles implicated in murders appeared troubled on Tuesday by laws that make the punishment mandatory. Among them was swing voter Justice Anthony M. Kennedy, author of two 5-4 opinions on juvenile punishment, report the Washington Post and the Los Angeles…

Mar 21, 2012 12:53 PM CDT

Law Students Train Teens to Staff Youth Court in Seattle Focused on Traffic Infractions

A youth traffic court staffed by 22 high school students in Seattle will begin hearing cases on March 26. Seattle University law students have trained the teens to act as judges, prosecutors, defense lawyers, bailiffs, court clerks and jurors, the Seattle Times reports. Defendants will receive creative sentences; punishments could…

Mar 6, 2012 5:54 PM CST

Teen Charged as Juvenile in Ohio School Shooting Murders, Could Still Face Adult Case

A 17-year-old sophomore described by a prosecutor as an individual “who’s not well,” was charged today as a juvenile with multiple murder counts in this week’s Ohio high school shooting. T.J. Lane could still face adult charges in the Geauga County case, but he would not face the death penalty…

Mar 1, 2012 11:03 PM CST

Judge Refuses Teen’s Bid to Withdraw Guilty Plea to Quadruple Murder Hit Man Says He Committed

A Detroit judge refused Tuesday to allow a learning disabled teenager to withdraw his guilty plea to a quadruple murder that an admitted hit man has confessed to committing. Wayne County Judge Brian Sullivan said the admitted hit man’s confession “does not automatically exonerate” Davontae Sanford from having any role…

Feb 29, 2012 8:29 PM CST

Teen Suspect in Ohio School Shooting Likely to Face Adult Case, AG Says, But Isn’t Now Charged

As the number of fellow students killed in a school shooting in Ohio yesterday climbed to three, the state’s attorney general said the as-yet-undentified juvenile suspect in the crimes is likely to be tried as an adult. CNN, like other news media, names the 17-year-old sophomore, based on accounts by…

Feb 28, 2012 9:23 PM CST

New York Chief Judge Backs Videotaped Interrogations, Special Youth Courts

The chief judge of New York’s top court backed videotaped interrogations of criminal suspects in his State of the Judiciary address on Tuesday. Judge Jonathan Lippman said videotaping would help curtail coerced confessions and violations of suspects’ rights, the New York Times reports. Lippman also endorsed creation of a new…

Feb 15, 2012 12:36 PM CST

LA Judge Orders Greater Media Access to Juvenile Court

A judge has ordered the L.A. County Juvenile Court to be open to regular media coverage to boost transparency and shed greater light on problems that have festered outside the public’s view. Judge Michael Nash, the longest-serving Juvenile Court judge in the state, ordered greater access for news organizations to…

Feb 2, 2012 8:39 PM CST

A Law and Order Campaign: Lawyer, 29, Unseats Long-Term DA in Luzerne County, Pa.

Feb 1, 2012 10:10 AM CST

Dad Gets Protection Order Against 4th-Grader, Calls Child’s Alleged Threats a Serious School Issue

When the father of a California elementary school student wasn’t satisfied with the school administration’s response to another child’s alleged threats, he took the matter outside. In what may be a first for the school district, a local court in Riverside County has issued a restraining order to require the…

Jan 26, 2012 9:24 PM CST

ABA Amicus Brief Says Life Without Parole Is Unconstitutional in Juvenile Murder Cases

The ABA has filed an amicus brief with the U.S. Supreme Court that argues a sentence of life without parole for juveniles convicted of murder is cruel and unusual punishment. The U.S. Supreme Court is considering the issue in two cases involving juveniles convicted of slayings committed when they were…

Jan 23, 2012 12:00 PM CST

Boy, 5, in Custody After Police Say He Stabbed 3; Juice Box Issue May Have Sparked Altercation

A 5-year-old boy is reportedly in custody and being evaluated in Virginia, accused of stabbing three people over the holiday weekend with what Greene County Sheriff Steve Smith called an “edged weapon.” A neighbor said a dispute over a juice box may have sparked the altercation. Two other juveniles and…

Jan 17, 2012 6:49 PM CST

Around the Blawgosphere: Criminal Lawyers, Illustrated; Juvenile Clients—and Their Mothers

Drawn Out Posts New York City solo Nathaniel Burney laments at the Criminal Lawyer that he hasn’t done a lot of substantive posting since being named to the ABA Journal’s Blawg 100. But he notes that instead, he’s been cranking posts at The Criminal Lawyer’s Guide to Criminal Law, which…

Dec 22, 2011 2:35 PM CST