Adults and Juvenile Courts (Essay Sample)

Adults and Juvenile Courts
Name
Institution
Adults and Juvenile Courts
Introduction
Juvenile delinquents have a complex status in the criminal justice system because they are minors with little comprehension of the laws. Underage criminals are subject to special protections. Nonetheless, because they are still minors, they do not have all the constitutional rights that adults enjoy. Therefore, juvenile courts have the responsibility to balance the two concerns and ensure that offenders receive the appropriate rehabilitation. For a person to be considered a minor in the United States, one must be below 18 years.
Adult Case Summary
In February 2019, Antoine Dion Harris was also known as Fattwan aged 31, robbed a liquor store in Newport using a firearm. According to court documents, the offender picked a bottle of Hennessey and proceeded to the counter. He confronted the victim and demanded all her money, which amounted to $88 and the bottle of liquor. Harris faced a minimum of seven years and a maximum of life sentences. However, the sentences are typically less than that recommended by U.S. Sentencing Guidelines (United States Department of Justice, 2019).
The Juvenile Proceedings
If the crime were committed by a minor, some processes would have to be skipped. One of the steps is the preliminary hearing or grand jury proceedings. Precisely, a juvenile case goes direct to adjudication by a judge without pretrial motions. The juvenile case would need to have a jury selection, as in the case of an adult. The other discrepancy is that a judge and not a jury will pass the judgment. Therefore, the judge will have a disposition of the ideal punishment that the offender will be liable.
Differences between Juvenile and Adult Criminal Proceedings