Assignment: Juvenile Waivers to Adult Courts

The juvenile justice process is distinct from the criminal justice process for a variety of reasons. Perhaps the most notable difference is the notion that juveniles do not understand the full consequences of their actions and thus might not benefit from sanctions designed to prevent adults from committing crimes.

However, sometimes, the circumstances of an offense committed by a juvenile are such that the court believes that community interests would be best served if the offending juvenile was tried as an adult. When this happens, a process begins by which the juvenile's case is transferred, or waived, to an adult court. Once in an adult court, the juvenile is subject to all the rules, procedures, protections, and punishments applicable to adults.

In a minimum of 250 words, post to the Discussion Area your responses to the following:

• What is your opinion of the waiver process? Is this process necessary to ensure the safety of the community? Why?
• What assumptions about the offender does the waiver process make?
• What are some of the problems or issues associated with waiving juveniles to adult courts?