Category Archives: Juvenile Court

Steubenville: The Names Change, but the Story Stays the Same

Posted on March 23, 2013 by tbirckhe

“My life is over. No one is going to want me now.” These were the words of 16-year-old Ma’lik Richmond after a judge adjudicated him delinquent of rape earlier this week in juvenile court in Steubenville, Ohio. Hyperbole? Perhaps. But … Continue reading →

Print Friendly
Spread Juvenile Justice, Share!
Posted in Delinquency, Education, Gender, Juvenile Court, Juveniles, Media, Sentencing | 1 Comment

New Article on the Role of Counsel in the Sentencing Phase of a Juvenile Delinquency Case

Posted on March 8, 2013 by tbirckhe

It’s always struck me as ironic that the criminal defense of adults is considered to be more “advanced” and “complicated” than the defense of young people in juvenile court.  Having practiced in both realms, I have personally found representing children … Continue reading →

Print Friendly
Spread Juvenile Justice, Share!
Posted in Criminal /Juvenile Defense, Delinquency, Juvenile Court, Juveniles, Legal Scholarship, Sentencing | 2 Comments

Kids, Cops, and Confessions: Inside the Interrogation Room

Posted on February 10, 2013 by tbirckhe

During my ten years practicing in juvenile delinquency court, I’ve been struck by the overwhelming number of cases in which youth readily confess to police — often school resource officers.  Sophisticated interrogation techniques are usually not required.  The officer need … Continue reading →

Print Friendly
Spread Juvenile Justice, Share!
Posted in Books, Interrogation, Juvenile Court, Juveniles, Legal Scholarship | 1 Comment

Ending the School-to-Prison Pipeline: Senate Subcommittee Hearing

Posted on December 13, 2012 by tbirckhe

      As many of you know, yesterday the U.S. Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution, Civil Rights and Human Rights held a hearing on ending the school-to-prison pipeline. A full webcast of the hearing, which was chaired by Senator Dick Durbin, in addition … Continue reading →

Print Friendly
Spread Juvenile Justice, Share!
Posted in Delinquency, Juvenile Court, Juveniles, Legislative Hearings, Organizations, Race, Class, Ethnicity, School to Prison Pipeline, State Laws | Leave a comment

Transitions

Posted on December 2, 2012 by tbirckhe

This past week we had the final classes of the semester, which meant that I taught the last two-hour session of the Criminal Lawyering Process, a companion course to the Juvenile Justice Clinic.  It was my ninth year teaching it, … Continue reading →

Print Friendly
Spread Juvenile Justice, Share!
Posted in Blogosphere, Books, Clinical Legal Education, Juvenile Court, Law Schools, Law Students, Legal Scholarship, Poverty, Uncategorized | 3 Comments

Overhaul the Juvenile Justice System: Accountability without Criminalization

Posted on November 16, 2012 by tbirckhe

A new federally commissioned report led by University of Virginia law professor Richard Bonnie lays out a blueprint to reform the nation’s juvenile justice system to better hold youth offenders accountable, prevent recidivism and ensure adolescent offenders are treated fairly. The report, … Continue reading →

Print Friendly
Spread Juvenile Justice, Share!
Posted in Delinquency, Juvenile Court, Juveniles, Organizations, Psychology, Reports, Sentencing, Social science, Training | 1 Comment

Juvenile Hall is Often No Place for Kids

Posted on October 28, 2012 by tbirckhe

My latest op-ed — also published via the Huffington Post and Youth Today: DURHAM, N.C. — The local detention center where my juvenile clients are held while their cases are pending is called the “Youth Home.” The irony of the label is … Continue reading →

Print Friendly
Spread Juvenile Justice, Share!
Posted in Conditions of Confinement, Delinquency, Juvenile Court, Juveniles, Rehabilitation, Sentencing | 6 Comments

Shutting Down the School to Prison Pipeline

Posted on October 26, 2012 by tbirckhe

My latest piece for the Huffington Post: “School is just a waiting room to prison.” ~ African-American teenager, Washington, D.C. If you sit in juvenile delinquency court long enough, you notice a few things. Most of the kids are black … Continue reading →

Print Friendly
Spread Juvenile Justice, Share!
Posted in Delinquency, Education, Juvenile Court, Juveniles, Poverty, Race, Class, Ethnicity, School to Prison Pipeline | Leave a comment

Tough Times for Girls in the Juvenile Justice System

Posted on October 24, 2012 by tbirckhe

If you’re a regular reader, you know that the topic of girls in the juvenile justice system is one that concerns me greatly.  The title of this post is the title of this short piece by Carrie Johnson of NPR: The … Continue reading →

Print Friendly
Spread Juvenile Justice, Share!
Posted in Children, Conditions of Confinement, Delinquency, Gender, Juvenile Court, Juveniles, Reports, School to Prison Pipeline, State Laws | 3 Comments

Infographic on the Criminalization of Poor D.C. Youth

Posted on October 19, 2012 by tbirckhe

From our friends at D.C. Lawyers for Youth (DCLY): DC Lawyers for Youth (DCLY) has launched a capital-wide campaign to reach out to kids, families, policymakers, practitioners and systems administrators to communicate the error in spending and judgement when it … Continue reading →

Print Friendly
Spread Juvenile Justice, Share!
Posted in Criminal /Juvenile Defense, Juvenile Court, Juveniles, Organizations, Poverty, Race, Class, Ethnicity, School to Prison Pipeline | Leave a comment