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Juveniles May be Able to Avoid Court Hearings in New Jersey

By Lependorf & Silverstein

New Jersey is actively working to keep minors out of courthouses and give them valuable second chances. According to a news report in The Star-Ledger, just this year, 8,254 cases have been handled by juvenile conference committees instead of courts. That accounts for 17 percent of all juvenile complaints in New Jersey. The goal of these committees is to keep youth out of trouble by talking to young people instead of sending them to courtrooms and eventually, juvenile hall. This system, which allows parents and young people to plead in front of town residents instead of a judge, has been in place in New Jersey since the 1950s. These committees work on the premise that kids make mistakes and deserve a second chance. Most often, the punishment given to juveniles by these committees is community service...continue to full post

Full post as published by New Jersey Criminal Defense Blog on December 27, 2010 (boomark / email).