Juvenile Delinquency and Juvenile Crime
Ericka Davis
CJA/204
July 3, 2013
Monte Morast

Juvenile Delinquency and Juvenile Crime
Delinquency is behavior by a minor that is antisocial or in violation of the law. Status offenses are activities that are deemed offenses when committed by juveniles, because of their age at the time of the activity. Some offense would include not attending school, breaking curfew laws, running away from home, and possession and consumption of alcohol.
The comparison of juvenile courts and adult courts are: The juvenile courts are adjudicated in a civil proceeding, juveniles will have no criminal record, and have the ability to get record expunged and sealed once juvenile reach adult hood. In the adult court adults are charged in a criminal proceeding and upon a finding of guilt carry a criminal record for the remainder of one’s adult life (University of Phoenix 2010). One difference is juvenile courts are conducted in an informal manner, focus more on Paren’s Patria versus Due Process, court records-recordings of proceedings is the decision of the juvenile judge and the preponderance of the evidence used in most circumstance other than determine delinquency, where beyond a reasonable doubt is implemented.
Now adult courts proceedings are very formal, are courts of record, and the standard of proof required to determine a guilty verdict is beyond a reasonable doubt. Only 39 states have no guaranteeing juveniles the Right to a trial by jury. Defendant in adult court has the Constitutional Right-safe guard to have his or her case determined by a member of one’s peers- Jury trial or a bench trial. In juvenile courts juvenile judges are limited when imposing punishment to juvenile and will either issue one of three dispositions: nominal, dispositional, or custodial (University of Phoenix 2010).
There are many variables that cause