Final Essay

The major difference between a juvenile court and an adult court is the age of the offenders. A juvenile court usually deals with children under 18 and an adult court usually deals with offenders 18 and older. There are some circumstances where and offender may be under 18, but can still be tried as an adult. In those cases they will go to an adult court instead of a juvenile court. In a juvenile court the rehabilitation of the offender is the main focus. Juvenile courts usually do not require a jury whereas adult courts usually do. With adult courts due process and retribution are considered more important that the individuals themselves. In juvenile courts “the act of delinquency” is what is discussed and in adult court the crime is what is discussed. Another difference is that the juvenile offender’s academic record and family background is taken into consideration. In adult court this is not the case and adults do not receive this special consideration. Another difference is that bail is usually not allowed for minors. For a minor to get out of custody before a judgment is made, the minor will have to prove that he/she is neither a flight risk nor a danger to the community and society. The courtroom is usually closed to the general public, including the media, when juveniles are involved. The goal of most juvenile court programs is to rehabilitate a child before they become an adult and get into more trouble. Adult courts and juvenile courts are more different than they are alike. For the smaller offenses the consequences for minors might be worse than for adults. Minors are more likely to be placed on probation for longer amounts of time than adults and the conditions of their probation are usually more numerous with extra additions because of their age. These conditions can include things such as curfews, getting good grades in school, not getting into any more trouble, and respecting parents and other authority figures. Minors from the ages of 13-17