Running head: THE DEVELOPMENT OF JUVENILE JUSTICE
1
The Development of Juvenile Justice
Name
Institutional Affiliation
, THE DEVELOPMENT OF JUVENILE JUSTICE
2
The Development of Juvenile Justice
In the U.S, numerous legal cases have been significantly crucial to the growth/emergence
of Juvenile Justice. Therefore, this essay seeks to identify three cases in American history that
have been paramount to the development/evolution of juvenile justice. In addition, it strives to
give a justification as to why they are fundamental. The three cases include; In re Gault (1967),
Schall v. Martin (1984), and Breed v. Jones (1975).
In re Gault
In this case, the defendant (Gault) was a 15-year-old boy who was accused of calling his
neighbor via a telephone (Mrs. Cook) and talked to her in the obscene language (dirty talk).
During his arrest, due process rights were not made known to him as well as his parents because
he was a minor. But the court ruled that the juvenile tribunal cases are adversarial delinquent
proceedings that gave juvenile perpetrators the right to a defense lawyer, formal regulations
of criminal procedure, and the right to be heard (Holland, 2017). This case proved to be
paramount when it, at last, gave juveniles the same rights such as due process rights that grown-
ups have under the 14th Amendment of the United States Constitution. For instance, Gault’s
lawyer contended that the juvenile ordinance of Arizona under which the accused person was
rendered a criminal was null and void because it was not in accordance with the due process
rights which gives the defendant the right to; have or be provided with a counsel, privilege
against self-incrimination, be notified of the charges taking into consideration their time frames
and specificness, confrontation and cross-examination, appellate re-examination, and
documentation of the trial record (Senna, 1999, p. 579).
Schall v Martin
1
The Development of Juvenile Justice
Name
Institutional Affiliation
, THE DEVELOPMENT OF JUVENILE JUSTICE
2
The Development of Juvenile Justice
In the U.S, numerous legal cases have been significantly crucial to the growth/emergence
of Juvenile Justice. Therefore, this essay seeks to identify three cases in American history that
have been paramount to the development/evolution of juvenile justice. In addition, it strives to
give a justification as to why they are fundamental. The three cases include; In re Gault (1967),
Schall v. Martin (1984), and Breed v. Jones (1975).
In re Gault
In this case, the defendant (Gault) was a 15-year-old boy who was accused of calling his
neighbor via a telephone (Mrs. Cook) and talked to her in the obscene language (dirty talk).
During his arrest, due process rights were not made known to him as well as his parents because
he was a minor. But the court ruled that the juvenile tribunal cases are adversarial delinquent
proceedings that gave juvenile perpetrators the right to a defense lawyer, formal regulations
of criminal procedure, and the right to be heard (Holland, 2017). This case proved to be
paramount when it, at last, gave juveniles the same rights such as due process rights that grown-
ups have under the 14th Amendment of the United States Constitution. For instance, Gault’s
lawyer contended that the juvenile ordinance of Arizona under which the accused person was
rendered a criminal was null and void because it was not in accordance with the due process
rights which gives the defendant the right to; have or be provided with a counsel, privilege
against self-incrimination, be notified of the charges taking into consideration their time frames
and specificness, confrontation and cross-examination, appellate re-examination, and
documentation of the trial record (Senna, 1999, p. 579).
Schall v Martin
