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50th Anniversary of In re Gault

Last week, the Office of the Public Defender for the Ninth Judicial Circuit and the League of Women Voters of Orange County celebrated the 50th anniversary of the landmark U.S. Supreme Court decision In re Gault. The program began with Gault:…
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9-Year-Old Boy Who Stabbed 5-Year-Old Sister in Ocala Likely Won’t Be Tried as Adult, Former Judge Says

A 9-year-old boy had his first appearance in court Tuesday morning for allegedly stabbing his 5-year-old sister multiple times Monday afternoon, according to the Ocala Police Department. Former judge Belvin Perry believes…
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ABA Urges Supreme Court to Follow Miller Standard for Juvenile Punishments

In an amicus brief filed Tuesday, the ABA urged the U.S. Supreme Court to recognize that juveniles’ “diminished culpability and greater prospects for reform” separate them from adults and that those whose crimes “reflect transient…
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Supreme Court Won’t Consider Expanding Juvenile Death Ban

The U.S. Supreme Court refused on Tuesday to consider extending its ban on executing juvenile offenders to people who were as old as 20 when they committed their crimes. The justices also denied a stay of execution for Michael Brandon Samra,…
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Young People Who Can’t Pay Court Fees Are Getting Trapped in the Criminal Justice System

Children across the country aren’t able to leave the juvenile criminal justice system when administrative fines and fees pile up. A new bill in Congress would end this. Read more.
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After 55 Years in Prison, Baton Rouge Man Key to Supreme Court Ruling Again Denied Freedom

Henry Montgomery's victory at the U.S. Supreme Court in 2016 created a way for hundreds of prisoners like him — those convicted of horrific crimes while juveniles — to earn their freedom by demonstrating their rehabilitation since their…
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Supreme Court to Consider Whether Beltway Sniper Lee Boyd Malvo Deserves New Sentencing

The Supreme Court on Monday said it will consider whether Lee Boyd Malvo, the teenage half of the Beltway snipers who terrorized the Washington region 16 years ago, may challenge his sentence of life in prison without parole. Malvo, 34, was…
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Juvenile Transfer Reform In-Person Training in Daytona Beach

Join the No Place for a Child Coalition to learn more about reforming the system that transfers children into adult courts and prisons. ***LUNCH AND A LIGHT BREAKFAST WILL BE PROVIDED*** RSVP.
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This Week in the Florida Legislature, January 7-11

This week, the House Criminal Justice Committee held their inaugural meetings for the 2018 Legislative Session. The meeting began with a presentation on juvenile civil citation and direct file by the Florida Department of Juvenile Justice (DJJ),…
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Volunteers Needed: Prosecution Alternative for Youth (PAY)

VOLUNTEERS NEEDED: Prosecution Alternative for Youth (PAY), a 90-day pre-trial diversion program for first-time juvenile offenders, is currently in need of additional Volunteer Hearing Officers to assist in Teen Court or with our Juvenile Alternative…
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Florida Supreme Court Reverses Course on Re-Sentencing for Juvenile Offenders

About two years ago, the Florida Supreme Court decided that juvenile offenders serving sentences so lengthy that they amount to life in prison must have their cases reconsidered. The ruling applied even to juveniles who at some point would…
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FREE Keep Kids Learning Webinar: Advocating for Youth Charge as Adults – November 27, 6:00 PM

KEEP KIDS LEARNING WEBINAR: ADVOCATING FOR YOUTH CHARGED AS ADULTS On Tuesday, November 27 join us for a webinar examining the issue of youth charged as adults. You'll learn key ways you can engage in reform efforts and advocate for youth…