Juvenile and adult court systems comparison

Juvenile crime is a difficult problem that affects the social community significantly in a negative way. Juvenile crime in United States for example, includes general criminal activity such as public disturbance, shop lifting among others as well as unlawful conduct by the youth such as running away from home and skipping school. Underage offences are however considered to be adolescent behaviors because many teens tend to commit delinquencies that are not violent a few times in their period of adolescence. During situations that the minors need to be detained, they must be separated from adult offenders to ensure their safety. In most cases, the minors who have committed crimes are separated from their parents preceding their court hearing. In USA for example the juvenile courts were established to focus on the offenders rather than the offence they commit with an intention of rehabilitating them.

Some cases committed by minors are usually transferred to criminal courts where they are held and rulings made. Such cases are those that involve serious offences committed by minors such as murder or crimes that the minor had been charged with in the past period. Even though minors being tried in adult courts enjoy more constitutional protection, they could receive a severe sentence and possibility of being sent to serve their sentence in adult correctional facilities. Adult crimes are normally presented to the criminal courts where cases against adults are heard and judgement given. Because they are considered as minors, right to public hearing is not guaranteed for them. The judge alone can make a decision on these juvenile cases without depending on the jury.

Nevertheless, crimes by people considered to be adults are seen to be more dangerous their cases are afforded the public trial right. Proceedings in courts to deal with cases involving juvenile crimes are more relaxed compared to the adult system. The judge in the juvenile court is the only one that makes the decision regarding the result of the case without depending on the jury as in the case of criminal court that deals with adults. Both juvenile and criminal courts should be able to prove that the accused is guilty. In both court systems there is a right to cross examine the witnesses presented in court. The accused person has the right to know what the witness plans to present against him or her.