Default In The Juvenile Justice System
Cases are allocated depending on age from the juvenile justice system to the criminal justice system. A "child" or "juvenile" meaning any person who is under the age of eighteen is placed by default in the juvenile justice system. Therefore, after defendants turn eighteen their cases fall under the criminal justice system unless convicted under the Youthful Offender act. Offender classification is the most significant phase in criminal proceedings as it can drastically change your punishment. Children as soon as the age of thirteen, may be classified under the Youthful Offender depending on the severity of the crime. Once a defendant is classified as a juvenile they are not tried in the criminal justice system. Significantly, Juveniles have