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Friday, July 31, 2015

Justice Department Releases Findings of Constitutional Violations in Juvenile Delinquency Matters by St. Louis County Family Court

The Justice Department found that the family court fails to provide constitutionally required due process to children appearing for delinquency proceedings, and that the court’s administration of juvenile justice discriminates against Black children.

The Justice Department found a number of constitutional violations, including:

Failure to ensure youth facing delinquency proceedings have adequate legal representation; 

Failure to make adequate determinations that there is probable cause that a child committed the alleged offense;

Failure to provide adequate due process to children facing certification for criminal prosecution in adult criminal court;

Failure to ensure that children’s guilty pleas are entered knowingly and voluntarily;

An organizational structure that is rife with conflicts of interest, is contrary to separation of powers principles and deprives children of adequate due process; and 

Disparate treatment of Black children at four key decision points within the juvenile justice system.

* Many children involved with the juvenile justice system, enter the criminal justice system as adults.

#Loray Muhammad, Author
#Black Integration a Failed Social Experiment