Juvenile and Adult Courts: A Comparative Analysis.

One dilemma that is an issue in our society is crime among our youths. Crime is everywhere that is caused by both adults and youth. Daily we hear of murders, robberies, and rapes that have been committed by juveniles. The Juvenile Court with Adult Court is different and similar in the criminal justice system.

A look at the juvenile history in 1643 a sixteen year old boy was put to death for sodomizing a cow. Today many states disagree in the execution of juveniles. In the present day the increasing violence, both juvenile and adult system has changed over the years (Simmons 2002).

The juvenile philosophy in juvenile courts was to offer the youth an individualized justice and treatment instead of imparting justice and punishment. The juvenile court is different then adult court and from earlier periods of American history was the idea of protecting the children.

The focus is treatment and the best interest of the child in the disposition.

Subordinate Courts, Family and Juvenile Court 8

Subordinate Courts, Family and Juvenile Court 2

Subordinate Courts, Family and Juvenile Court

Since the increase of serious violent crimes by juveniles policymakers have argued for tougher penalties are needed in deterring crime among juveniles. This caused an increase of juveniles in adult courts. It seems that tougher policies have not decrease or deter juveniles for committing serious crimes.

There are five major ways juveniles get transferred to adult courts.

1. Discretionary judicial wavier,

2. Mandatory judicial wavier,

3. Presumptive judicial wavier, when the burden of the proof is on the juvenile courts is more appropriate,

4. Prosecutorial direction to charge in adult court,

5. Statutory exclusion provision, which automatically exclude certain juveniles due to their age (Simmons 2002).

Similarities: Juvenile and Adult.

You can ask yourself two questions? Do juveniles who are in adults court getting treated harsh compared to theses in juveniles court? Do juveniles in adults court not repeat...