Category Archives: State Laws

Telling the Whole Truth about Juvenile Incarceration Rates

Posted on March 26, 2013 by tbirckhe

While a new report finds that juvenile incarceration rates are declining in the United States, there is more to the story than just the numbers.  In this guest post, Jason Langberg, staff attorney with Legal Aid of North Carolina, examines … Continue reading →

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Posted in Conditions of Confinement, Delinquency, Juveniles, North Carolina, Race, Class, Ethnicity, Reports, School to Prison Pipeline, State Laws | Leave a 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 →

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Posted in Delinquency, Juvenile Court, Juveniles, Legislative Hearings, Organizations, Race, Class, Ethnicity, School to Prison Pipeline, State Laws | 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 →

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Posted in Children, Conditions of Confinement, Delinquency, Gender, Juvenile Court, Juveniles, Reports, School to Prison Pipeline, State Laws | 3 Comments

When the Law Doesn’t Fit the Crime: Lessons from the Blogosphere

Posted on October 11, 2012 by tbirckhe

I’m now blogging for the Huffington Post.  Here’s my first piece, which also appears on the Juvenile Justice Information Exchange: Practicing criminal law is not rocket science. It’s also not open heart surgery. But it’s more than just slapping a … Continue reading →

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Posted in Blogosphere, Case Law, Criminal /Juvenile Defense, State Laws | 1 Comment

Meridian Struggles with School-to-Prison Allegations

Posted on September 16, 2012 by tbirckhe

The title of this post is the title of an excellent article by Maggie Lee at Juvenile Justice Information Exchange, which follows up on the stunning Department of Justice report issued last month on the Mississippi school district. This is … Continue reading →

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Posted in Delinquency, Education, Race, Class, Ethnicity, Reports, School to Prison Pipeline, State Laws | 1 Comment

What You May Have Missed

Posted on September 15, 2012 by tbirckhe

With the academic year now in full swing at the law school where I teach, I’ve been swamped — classes, juvenile court appearances, faculty meetings (!), etc. In reflecting back on the past week or so, I’ve found a bunch … Continue reading →

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Posted in Adult Court, Advocacy, Analysis, Blogosphere, Criminal /Juvenile Defense, Media, State Laws | Leave a comment

The Age of the Child

Posted on September 3, 2012 by tbirckhe

This week’s column from Juvenile Justice Information Exchange (JJIE): When I first began practicing in juvenile delinquency court in North Carolina eight years ago, I was shocked to discover that the maximum age of jurisdiction is 15. This means if … Continue reading →

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Posted in Adult Court, Advocacy, Juvenile Court, Juveniles, Rehabilitation, Sentencing, State Laws | Leave a comment

Sentencing Youth as Adults Harms Us All

Posted on August 27, 2012 by tbirckhe

The title of this post is the title of my op-ed, published today at the Juvenile Justice Information Exchange.  This is how it begins: On August 15, 2012, when most teenagers were enjoying the last few weeks of summer vacation, … Continue reading →

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Posted in Adult Court, Analysis, Juveniles, Sentencing, State Laws | 2 Comments

California Takes Stand Against Extreme Sentences for Youth

Posted on August 16, 2012 by tbirckhe

Today the California Assembly approved a bill and the California Supreme Court issued a decision that together will help scale back the extreme sentencing of young offenders in that state.  Senate Bill 9 will allow juveniles sentenced to mandatory life … Continue reading →

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Posted in Case Law, Miller v. Alabama, Sentencing, State Laws, U.S. Supreme Court | 1 Comment

In the Wake of Miller v. Alabama, States Should Rethink How to Hold Youthful Offenders Accountable

Posted on August 14, 2012 by tbirckhe

The title of this post is the title of a recent op-ed appearing on the Juvenile Justice Information Exchange by the wonderful Jody Kent Lavy of the Campaign for the Fair Sentencing of Youth. It begins as follows: Many states … Continue reading →

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Posted in Adult Court, Advocacy, Analysis, Miller v. Alabama, Organizations, Sentencing, State Laws, U.S. Supreme Court | Leave a comment