1. Prosecution in the Juvenile Courts: Guidelines for the Future.
- Author
-
National Inst. of Law Enforcement and Criminal Justice (Dept. of Justice/LEAA), Washington, DC., Finkelstein, M. Marvin, Finkelstein, M. Marvin, and National Inst. of Law Enforcement and Criminal Justice (Dept. of Justice/LEAA), Washington, DC.
- Abstract
This monograph analyses the functions of the prosecutor in the juvenile system. The authors examined in detail the existing prosecution system in the Boston Juvenile Court and surveyed procedures in a number of other cities. The findings show a wide disparity in practice and in the quality of justice dispensed. For example, in the Boston sample the arresting officer alone is responsible for presenting evidence. Equipped with only such legal training as his law enforcement career may have provided him, he frequently must confront either a public defender or private attorney. In such cases, the report suggests, the odds would appear to be weighted against the law enforcement interests of the community. To develop a judicial framework which serves both the rights of the accused juvenile and the safety of the community, the study recommends that juvenile courts adopt a modified version of the prosecutor-defender structure which now serves the adult criminal justice system. This report includes guidelines for such a juvenile prosecution system. (Author/PC)
- Published
- 1973