Nancy Vang
CJS/245
April 27, 2015
William O’Neil
Juvenile and Adult Courts: A Comparative Analysis Paper The juvenile court system today resembles the adult court system in many ways. Although they have their similarities the fundamental foundations of each system clearly display two different outcomes. While the adult court looks to punish criminals, the juvenile court system looks to rehabilitate the individual.
Overview of the Juvenile Justice System . The purpose of the juvenile court system was to protect the public by providing a system that responded to delinquent acts committed by juveniles who were maturing into adulthood (Juvenile Law Center, n.d.) In most states delinquency is defined as the charge of a criminal act by a child who is under the age of 18 (Juvenile Law Center, n.d.). The juvenile court system was established in the United States to remove youth offenders to welfare agencies or social services (University of Phoenix, 2013). The states recognized that children who committed …show more content…
Juveniles are not subject to a public trial but rather a fact-finding hearing in which the judge renders judgment upon the evidence and allegations of the juvenile with no jury present (The Clark County Prosecuting Attorney, n.d.). Instead of receiving an indictment, formal list of charges specified for the individual, the juvenile may receive a petition which the facts of the crime committed by the juvenile is listed. This petition must include the statutes giving the juvenile court jurisdiction a well as the statutes that have been violated by the juvenile (The Clark County Prosecuting Attorney, n.d.). At the end of the trial, the juvenile can be deemed delinquent in which the juvenile is held responsible for the actions of the crime and may be sent to a probation or detention program rather than being sent to prison or