California Criminal Defense Lawyers

In January, Governor Jerry Brown stirred things up and had many juvenile justice advocates applauding when he announced he would be phasing out the state’s youth prisons. But in recent weeks, he has changed his tune and backtracked completely. Not everyone is mad at the change, however, as the newly proposed plan still makes significant improvements. [Read More...]

The United States is the only country in the world that sentences children to life without parole. In California, about 290 people are serving life sentences for offenses they committed as juveniles. A new bill would give some of these inmates a route to potential release, if they can prove their mind has matured since the time of their crime. [Read More...]

Last year, the United States Supreme Court ruled it was unconstitutional to sentence a juvenile to life without any chance of parole. Now, the California state supreme court will visit a case, trying to determine if three lengthy sentences adding up to 110 years would be barred under the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling. [Read More...]

If some Santa Clara officials have their way, that county will soon become the second in the state to offer separated “pathways” for adults and juveniles. According to the Mercury News, County Supervisor Dave Cortese said in his state of the county address that he would like to see the jailing of juveniles come to a halt, limiting incarceration to only those over 16 years old. [Read More...]

A national report released this week shows incarceration rates for juveniles are falling across the country. California’s juvenile system locked up 10,000 kids in 1996 but only has 1,500 currently incarcerated today. This is a dramatic drop, coinciding with drops in juvenile crimes and a dramatic shift in juvenile justice philosophy. [Read More...]

There are 17 teen courts in Los Angeles county that take a very unique approach to juvenile justice. The courts are held in high schools and cases are heard before a jury of teens—truly a jury of peers. Not all juvenile offenders qualify for these courts but the ones who do seem to gain a lot from the input jurors provide. [Read More...]

In Los Angeles County, the probation department is tasked with overseeing juveniles caught up in the justice system. Whether in residential halls or camps, or while under probationary supervision, these officers are responsible for supervising youths and ensuring their safe passage through the various juvenile justice programs. A report from the LA Times, however, has uncovered some serious allegations of misconduct from these very officials. [Read More...]