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**__Overview __** The jurisdiction of juvenile courts extends to delinquent children under the age of seventeen and deprived children under the age of eighteen. Juvenile courts have concurrent jurisdiction with superior courts in cases involving capital felonies, custody and child support cases, and proceedings to terminate parental rights. In addition, the juvenile courts have jurisdiction over minors committing traffic violations and other special consent cases (underage persons seeking to serve in the military or obtain a marriage license). The superior court has jurisdiction over juveniles who commit certain violent felonies, including murder, voluntary manslaughter, rape and other sexual offenses, and armed robbery if committed with a firearm. Juvenile court judges are appointed by the superior court judges to serve four-year terms. Candidates must be at least thirty years of age, must have been admitted to the practice of law for five years, and must have lived in Georgia for at least three years. There are 120 full- and part-time juvenile court judges who hear juvenile cases exclusively. Full-time juvenile judges cannot practice law while holding office. DJJ has a staff of over 4,500 dedicated employees managing programs, services and facilities throughout the state. Over 52,000 youths are served annually, including youths who are placed on probation, sentenced to short-term incarceration, or committed to the Department’s custody by Juvenile Courts. **__History & Creation of Juvenile Justice System__** While the treatment of juveniles separate from adults in the state of Georgia has a long past since 1905, the separate department of Juvenile Justice has a much shorter history. The Department of Juvenile Justice was created by legislation in July 1992. A fifteen member policy-making board governs the Department. The board is required to establish rules and regulations for the government, operation, and maintenance of all training schools, facilities, and institutions under the control of the Department. The schools, facilities, and institutions operate rehabilitative programs that restore and improve the self-esteem and life competency of youths in order to qualify and equip them for good citizenship and honorable employment.

(See O.C.G.A. 49-4A-1, et seq.)



History || **Event Description** ||~  ||~   || 9 0 5 || The Georgia State Reformatory opens in Milledgeville to serve delinquent boys formerly served in the adult penitentiary. || 9 3 0 s || The Adamsville and Augusta Reformatories open in the late 1930s. Adamsville, located in Atlanta, serves females. Augusta serves African-American males. || 9 6 3 || The original Youth Services unit is created within the Division of Family And Children Services (DFACS), which is part of the Department of Social Services. Delinquent youth are placed in one of the three training schools, formerly the reformatories. The training schools are long-term facilities for delinquent youth. At some point, Adamsville is renamed to the Atlanta Training School. || 9 6 4 || The Macon Training School for Girls opens late in the year. The male training schools are integrated. The Atlanta Training School switches to boys aged 11-13. Augusta is for boys 13-15 years old. Milledgeville is for the older boys and the more violent boys. || 9 6 7 || The first Regional Youth Detention Centers (RYDCs) are constructed by Youth Services in 1967 and 1968. Each RYDC is built to provide facilities for juvenile custody within an hour's ride of any point in Georgia. Each facility has 30 individual rooms, 18 for males and 12 for females. || 9 6 8 || The Augusta and Gainesville RYDCs open. || 9 7 1 || Youth Services begins the first Community Treatment Center in Columbus. There were 23 CTCs in operation by 1991, providing a safe place for youth after school.
 * A Brief History of the Department of Juvenile Justice ||
 * **Facilities & Capcities** ||~ Year
 * * Georgia State Reformatory || 1
 * * Adamsville and Augusta Reformatories || 1
 * * Atlanta, Augusta and Milledgeville Training Schools || 1
 * * Macon Training School || 1
 * * Albany RYDC
 * Rome RYDC
 * Sandersville RYDC
 * Waycross RYDC
 * RYDC Capacity: 120 || 1
 * * Augusta RYDC
 * Gainesville RYDC
 * RYDC Capacity: 180 || 1
 * * Columbus Alternative Placement
 * RYDC Capacity: 180 || 1

The Department of Human Resources (DHR) is created by merging several state departments, including DFACS, into one agency. Youth Services remains a unit of DFACS. || 9 7 2 || Youth Development Centers (YDCs) are created by law in 1972 from the training schools. Community Schools are opened in Fulton, Dekalb and Chatham counties to provide alternative schools for juvenile offenders.
 * * Atlanta YDC
 * Augusta YDC
 * Macon YDC
 * Milledgeville YDC
 * RYDC Capacity: 180 || 1

The DHR upgrades the Youth Services Unit to the Division of Youth Services (DYS) within DHR, after a number of juvenile court judges publicly express concern that Youth Services' programs are being "lost" and overlooked in the larger DHR. || 9 7 3 || Marietta is a county-run facility built in 1956, taken over by the department in 1973. || 9 7 4 || The county-run Macon RYDC is taken over by the department. Columbus RYDC opens. Both are 30 bed facilities.
 * * Marietta RYDC
 * RYDC Capacity: 220 || 1
 * * Columbus RYDC
 * Macon RYDC
 * RYDC Capacity: 280 || 1

The Division of Youth Services institutes a "Serious Offender Policy". || 9 7 5 || The Dalton RYDC opens, a 30 bed facility. || 9 7 6 || Athens is a county-run facility built in 1971 with 12 beds. Added 14 beds upon take over by the department. Blakely RYDC opens as a 30 bed facility.
 * * Dalton RYDC
 * RYDC Capacity: 310 || 1
 * * Athens RYDC
 * Blakely RYDC
 * RYDC Capacity: 366 || 1

Contract Detention Homes, similar to foster homes, are opened to provide emergency shelters for youth who did not commit serious offenses but can not return to their homes. || 9 7 7 || Senate Bill 100 is signed into law. This legislation sets specific guidelines for handling status offenders which differentiated them from delinquents. It also provides for 24-hour intake on a statewide basis and prohibits the jailing of children except for limited periods of time and under extraordinary circumstances. The juvenile justice system is changed drastically to meet these mandates. || 9 7 8 || County-run Clayton RYDC is taken over. Macon RYDC is replaced with a new 40-bed facility. || 9 7 9 || The National Institute of Corrections assists DYS in studying and revamping its classification and length of stay policies. A classification system, called Determinate Sentencing and similar to the one used by the Department of Corrections (DOC), is implemented. It classifies offenders into four categories. Habitual and multiple offenders have their sentence lengths increased.
 * * RYDC Capacity: 366 || 1
 * * Clayton RYDC
 * Macon RYDC
 * RYDC Capacity: 406 || 1
 * * RYDC Capacity: 406 || 1

The state of Georgia settles Hall v. Skelton, a class action lawsuit involving the right to treatment of youth in YDCs. This settlement results in upgraded diagnostic orientation and counseling services and places significant restrictions on the use of detention and isolation in YDCs.

Private psychiatric facilities are contracted to provide mental health and Drug and Alcohol treatment programs, paid for by DYS. || 9 8 0 || Griffin & Eastman RYDCs open. Both are 30 bed facilities. Wolfcreek Wilderness, the department's first wilderness program, opens in the north Georgia mountains as a 25 day survival program. || 9 8 1 || Marietta RYDC replaced with a new 41-bed facility. County-run Savannah RYDC taken over.
 * * Eastman RYDC
 * Griffin RYDC
 * Wolfcreek Wilderness
 * RYDC Capacity: 466 || 1
 * * Marietta RYDC
 * Savannah RYDC
 * RYDC Capacity: 507 || 1

A new system, which determines placement and length of stay according to commitment offense and previous court history, is implemented.

The Designated Felony Act is passed, increasing commitments for violent offenders from two to five years. Sentence lengths are determined by the judge to run from 12-18 months, with time served in the RYDC not counting towards the sentence. || 9 8 2 || Gwinnett RYDC opens, a 30 bed facility.
 * * Gwinnett RYDC
 * RYDC Capacity: 537 || 1

The General Assembly approves constitutional and legislative provisions for the creation of a statewide juvenile court system. || 9 8 3 || A second wilderness program, Project Adventure, opens as a 38 day program. || 9 8 5 || The Public Risk Score, a 5 point scale, is created with 1 being least at risk to 5 being most serious, based on the most serious committing offense. Needs Assessments (1-5) are also created to reflect: (1)Residential support, (2) Medical, (3) Mental Health, (4)Alcohol And Drug, (5)Vocational, (6)Educational needs of the youth. || 9 8 6 || Claxton RYDC opens, a 30 bed facility. || 9 8 7 || Thomasville (30 beds) and Dekalb (64 beds) RYDCs open. Savannah RYDC replaced with a new 52 bed facility. || 9 9 0 || Due to a spike in drug offenses, particularly among males, a special Alcohol and Drug (A&D) unit opens at the Macon YDC.
 * * Project Adventure
 * RYDC Capacity: 537 || 1
 * * RYDC Capacity: 537 || 1
 * * Claxton RYDC
 * RYDC Capacity: 567 || 1
 * * Dekalb RYDC
 * Savannah RYDC
 * Thomasville RYDC
 * RYDC Capacity: 673 || 1
 * * Macon YDC
 * RYDC Capacity: 673
 * YDC Capacity: 680 || 1

The state legislature caps population at the YDCs. Age and weight distributions are eliminated. Early release procedures begin. || 9 9 1 || Clayton RYDC replaced with a new 50 bed facility. The Baxley Wilderness Program opens, the first long-term wilderness program. || 9 9 2 || The new Department of Children and Youth Services (DCYS) is created by the General Assembly, as recommended by the Joint Study Committee on Children and Youth.
 * * Baxley Wilderness Program
 * Clayton RYDC
 * RYDC Capacity: 693
 * YDC Capacity: 730 || 1
 * * RYDC Capacity: 693
 * YDC Capacity: 730 || 1

A Placement Assessment Score, ranging from 0-26 is created. The score is based on most serious current offense, most serious prior offense, and number of prior adjudications. A risk assessment score, ranging from 1-23, is calculated using gang affiliation, sibling / parent offense history, age at first adjudication and other factors, is implemented. || 9 9 3 || The DOC opens the Eastman Youth Development Facility (YDF) for "Heinous Juvenile Offenders."
 * * Eastman YDF
 * RYDC Capacity: 693
 * YDC Capacity: 702 || 1

The Multi-Service Centers (MSCs) are created by merging the Community Schools, Community Treatment Centers and the Court Service Offices in several counties.

The Safe Schools Act is passed, initially to punish youth for carrying weapons to school or selling drugs at or near a school. The law is later amended to include disrupting school, possession of drugs, vandalism on school property, and battery of a school official. || 9 9 4 || The DOC opens the Davisboro YDF late in the year.
 * * Davisboro YDF
 * RYDC Capacity: 693
 * YDC Capacity: 785 || 1

The YDFs are renamed Youth Development Campuses (YDCs). The DCYS is named a special school district under state law.

Senate Bill (SB) 440 is enacted. The law contains three main provisions: # Youth 13 or older who commit one of "The Seven Deadly Sins" (Murder, Voluntary Manslaughter, Rape, Aggravated Sodomy, Aggravated Child Molestation and Armed Robbery with a Firearm) are to be tried as adults. 9 9 5 || City-owned facility in Irwin opens as a privatized YDC. Macon YDC male A&D unit closes. Davisboro converts to a STP YDC in September. || 9 9 6 || Privatized Pelham YDC opens late in the year for females. The Chatham County Jail and Forest Park Jail are contracted to house Superior Court youth. Chatham closes in 2001. Forest Park closes in less than a year. The Augusta Boot Camp opens.
 * 1) The Short Term Program (STP) is created. Youth can be placed in a YDC by a Judge for a short term Boot Camp-type program for 60 - 90 days, instead of a commitment.
 * 2) Designated Felons sentence lengths are extended to commitment in a YDC from 12-18 months to 9-60 months. Time served in a RYDC counts as part of sentence length. ||
 * * Davisboro YDC
 * Irwin YDC
 * Macon YDC
 * RYDC Capacity: 693
 * YDC Capacity: 1,339 || 1
 * * Augusta Boot Camp
 * Augusta YDC
 * Milledgeville YDC
 * Atlanta YDC
 * Pelham YDC
 * RYDC Capacity: 693
 * YDC Capacity: 1,532
 * Savannah RYDC || 1

Alternate Placement (AP) units open at Augusta, Ireland, and Lorenzo Benn YDCs, as a response to RYDC overcrowding. Youth who act out in the RYDC are sent to these APs. Ireland AP closes later in the year. Savannah RYDC replaced with a new 100 bed facility. || 9 9 7 || Eastman converts to a Long-Term (LT) YDC under the department in July. Eastman YDC adds a STP in November. Wrightsville YDC is transferred from the DOC and opens in July with 300 STP beds. Two hundred LT beds also open in October. Davisboro YDC closes. Atlanta YDC renamed Lorenzo Benn YDC. Augusta and Benn APs close. Marietta RYDC replaced with a new 50 bed facility.
 * * Augusta Boot Camp
 * Davisboro YDC
 * Eastman YDC
 * Marietta RYDC
 * Wrightsville YDC
 * RYDC Capacity: 702
 * YDC Capacity: 1,942 || 1

The DCYS changes its name to the Department of Juvenile Justice (DJJ).

The United States Department of Justice (US DOJ) investigates conditions within DJJ facilities. || 9 9 8 || The Metro RYDC opens to accept Fulton County detention population. Fulton Detention closes. Thomasville RYDC renamed to TJ Loftiss RYDC. Rome RYDC renamed to Bob Richards RYDC. Milledgeville YDC renamed Bill Ireland YDC. Privatized McIntosh (male) and Emanuel (female) YDCs open.
 * * Emanuel YDC
 * McIntosh YDC
 * Metro RYDC
 * Paulding RYDC
 * RYDC Capacity: 1,002
 * YDC Capacity: 2,482 || 1

A Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) is signed between the US DOJ and the state of Georgia, which outlines specific guidelines for the operation of the DJJ. || 9 9 9 || A small Female Closed Unit opens briefly at the Augusta YDC. Pelham YDC changes to male facility. Augusta Boot Camp closes. Lorenzo Benn YDC closes. || 0 0 0 || Nineteen new beds added to the Gwinnett RYDC. || 0 0 1 || Irwin YDC closes. Wrightsville YDC closes late in the year. Sumter YDC opens as a LT YDC. Privatized Bridge Institute opens in December as a STP. Privatized Savannah River Challenge opens in July as a STP. Twenty new beds added to the Marietta RYDC.
 * * Augusta Boot Camp
 * Augusta YDC
 * Lorenzo Benn YDC
 * Pelham YDC
 * RYDC Capacity: 1,050
 * YDC Capacity: 2,254 || 1
 * * Gwinnett RYDC
 * RYDC Capacity: 1,069
 * YDC Capacity: 2,476 || 2
 * * Bridge Institute
 * Irwin YDC
 * Marietta RYDC
 * Savannah River Challenge
 * Sumter YDC
 * Wrightsville YDC
 * RYDC Capacity: 1,089
 * YDC Capacity: 2,187 || 2

House Bill 201 becomes law, which expands the options and services available to juvenile court judges when sentencing youth to '90 days'. The legislation allows for youth to be placed in more appropriate programs based on their risk to the public and individual needs. || 0 0 2 || McIntosh YDC closes from May to October. The Bridge Institute closes in May. Emanuel and Pelham YDCs swap gender roles in December. || 0 0 3 || Macon Behavioral Health opens in February. Lighthouse Care Center opens in March. Augusta YDC privatized in July. Gainesville RYDC replaced with a new 64 bed facility.
 * * Bridge Institute
 * Emanuel YDC
 * McIntosh YDC
 * Pelham YDC
 * RYDC Capacity: 1,089
 * YDC Capacity: 1,741 || 2
 * * Augusta YDC
 * Gainesville RYDC
 * Lighthouse Care Center
 * Macon Behavioral Health
 * RYDC Capacity: 1,123
 * YDC Capacity: 1,866 || 2

DJJ Education services are found compliant and released from monitoring and the MOA in October. || 0 0 4 || Crisp YDC opens in January. Augusta, Macon and Rome RYDCs replaced with new 64-bed facilities. Augusta YDC closed in February. Pelham closed in March. Emanuel closed in April. Metro YDC is created within Metro RYDC to house youth from Augusta YDC.
 * * Augusta RYDC
 * Augusta YDC
 * Crisp YDC
 * Emanuel YDC
 * Macon RYDC
 * Metro YDC
 * Pelham YDC
 * Rome RYDC
 * RYDC Capacity: 1,215
 * YDC Capacity: 1,388 || 2

Augusta YDC re-opens under state operation in November providing special needs in the area of behavioral health. || 0 0 5 || Athens RYDC closed. Augusta YDC reopened and Metro YDC closed. Columbus 30 bed facility closed and Cohn RYDC a 64 bed facility opened in Muscogee County. Muscogee YDC opened and Lighthouse closed as an STP. The DJJ Quality Assurance and Investigations functions are found compliant and released from monitoring and the MOA in January.
 * * Athens RYDC
 * Augusta YDC
 * Crisp RYDC
 * Columbus RYDC
 * Cohn RYDC
 * Emanuel YDC
 * Metro YDC
 * Muscogee YDC
 * Lighthouse IIP STP
 * RYDC Capacity: 1,223
 * YDC Capacity: 1,457 || 2

The Department of Juvenile Justice schools are accredited by the South Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS).

Senate Bill 134 becomes law, which changed the law pertaining to the former 90-day boot camp program and what is now referred to as the Short-Term Program (STP). Changes include reducing the maximum sentence from 90-days to 60-days and requiring credit for time served in an RYDC while the youth is awaiting placement in a YDC.

The new Aaron Cohn RYDC opens in March as a 64-bed facility accommodating pre-adjudicated youth from Columbus and surrounding areas. The new facility is named after Muscogee County Chief Juvenile Court Judge Aaron Cohn, the country’s longest sitting juvenile court judge.

The Muscogee YDC opens in March. The campus utilizes a “cottage” culture housing low risk youth with long term sentences. The capacity for the facility is 60-72 beds.

House Resolution 48 becomes law changing the Clayton RYDC to the Martha K. Glaze RYDC in honor of the former longtime juvenile court judge. || 0 0 6 || Crisp YDC closed and reopened as an RYDC. Muscogee YDC cuts its capacity from 64 to 60. Eastman YDC cuts its capacity from 349 to 330. The Crisp YDC is converted to the Crisp RYDC, a 64-bed detention facility.
 * * Crisp YDC
 * Crisp RYDC
 * Muscogee YDC
 * Eastman YDC
 * RYDC Capacity: 1,287
 * YDC Capacity: 1,370 || 2

House Bill 1145 becomes law and provides the court with guidance on treatment options for incompetent youth instead of incarceration. This law change sets forth criteria for administering competency evaluations for youth and ensures that youth who are determined to be mentally incompetent will be placed in an appropriate residential treatment facility.

Senate Bill 135 becomes law and allows for a speedy trial moving youth through the system. This law requires that a youth charged in superior court must have his/her case presented to a grand jury within 180 days.

Senate Bill 136 becomes law and provides bail options for youth. Parents and certain relatives can exercise bail options at discretion of the judge and prosecutor. || 0 0 7 || DJJ establishes Victim Advocate position to assist victims of juvenile crime marking the first time the agency has employed a full-time position to assist victims of juvenile crime.
 * * RYDC Capacity: 1,287
 * YDC Capacity: 1,370 || 2

House Bill 153 becomes law with an amendment clarifying a section of the law to ensure that any youth who has issues relating to deprivation, must also have a delinquent act in order to be committed to DJJ.

House Resolution 21 is adopted renaming the Dalton RYDC the Elbert Shaw Jr. RYDC in honor of Shaw for three decades of volunteer services to youth at the facility.

The new $1.3 million vocational building is opened on the Augusta YDC campus in November. ||

**__ Differences between Adult & Juvenile Justice Systems __** **Different Terms ** || **Juvenile System** || || Respondent || || Adjudication || || Disposition || || Offense || || Juvenile Offender || **Different Steps** ||<  **Juvenile System** ||  ||= Child taken into custody ||  ||= probable cause hearing- within 48 hours || IF plead guilty- no trial straight to sentencing Not Guilty plea entered- pre-trial date will be set ||= <span style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><span style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">detentional hearing- within 72 hours ||  ||< <span style="FONT-SIZE: 150%; FONT-FAMILY: Impact, Charcoal, sans-serif"><span style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><span style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">IF DETAINED IF RELEASED || some take plea agreement before Held in front of jury or bench trial (judge only) ||< <span style="FONT-SIZE: 150%; FONT-FAMILY: Impact, Charcoal, sans-serif"><span style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><span style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Petion Filed- 72 hrs delinquent & unrly Petitition Filed- 30 days ||  ||< <span style="FONT-SIZE: 150%; FONT-FAMILY: Impact, Charcoal, sans-serif"><span style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><span style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Adjudicatory Hearing Set- 10 days within 60 days || <span style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><span style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">  ||< <span style="FONT-SIZE: 150%; FONT-FAMILY: Impact, Charcoal, sans-serif"><span style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><span style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Dispositional Hearing- No time limit Dispositional Hearing- No time limit || <span style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"> ||< <span style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><span style="FONT-SIZE: 150%; FONT-FAMILY: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">If in custody disposition within 30 days  || <span style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: SimSun; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: ZH-CN; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA"> Juvenile Courts are limited to hearing and handling cases dealing with delinquent, unruly, and deprived juveniles. As well as Juvenile traffic cases. All other cases fall to the 4 other original jurisdiction courts in the state of Georgia- Magistrate, Municipal, Probate, and State Courts. If a Juvenile is charged as an adult their case will be tried in the appropriate court.
 * **Adult System**
 * Defendant
 * Trial
 * Sentencing
 * Crime
 * Criminal
 * <span style="FONT-SIZE: 150%; FONT-FAMILY: Impact, Charcoal, sans-serif"><span style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; BACKGROUND-COLOR: #ffffff"> <span style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">**Adult System**
 * <span style="FONT-SIZE: 150%; FONT-FAMILY: Impact, Charcoal, sans-serif"><span style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><span style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Taken into custody upon probable cause
 * <span style="FONT-SIZE: 150%; FONT-FAMILY: Impact, Charcoal, sans-serif"><span style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><span style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Contact or Provided an Attorney
 * <span style="FONT-SIZE: 150%; FONT-FAMILY: Impact, Charcoal, sans-serif"><span style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><span style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Arraignment Hearing- within 72 hours
 * <span style="FONT-SIZE: 150%; FONT-FAMILY: Impact, Charcoal, sans-serif"><span style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><span style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Can be held (bail denied) or bailed out
 * <span style="FONT-SIZE: 150%; FONT-FAMILY: Impact, Charcoal, sans-serif"><span style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><span style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Criminal Trial- (soon as possible, within 2 court terms)
 * <span style="FONT-SIZE: 150%; FONT-FAMILY: Impact, Charcoal, sans-serif"><span style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><span style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Sentencing Hearing- punishement is decided
 * <span style="FONT-SIZE: 150%; FONT-FAMILY: Impact, Charcoal, sans-serif">
 * <span style="FONT-SIZE: 150%; FONT-FAMILY: Impact, Charcoal, sans-serif">
 * Courts Jurisdiction **

**__Juvenile Rights__** 1. I do not have to admit to the charges against me or even say anything at all, and that if I choose not to say anything it will not be used against me. 2. I have the right to have the charges against me served upon me in writing within a reasonable time. 3. I have a right to have a lawyer represent me, and if I cannot afford to hire a lawyer, the Court will provided one for me. 4. I understand that a lawyer is trained to understand court procedure and proceedings, knows how to conduct trials and how to properly introduce evidence and exclude improper evidence, knows how the law applies to the circumstances of my case, and knows how my rights and liberties may be affected by the court proceedings and how to protect my rights and civil liberties, and how to present my case and all matters favorable to me to the court, all of which I may not know. 5. I have had my right to be represented by a lawyer explained to me and I understand the danger of proceeding without a lawyer. 6. I have been told of the possible dispositions which the court can order if I admit to the charge(s) or if I am found to have commited a delinquent or unrly act(s), and those dispositions may include but are not limited to dismissal, informal adjustment, probation, commitment to the Department of Human Resources, commitment to the Department of Juvenile Justice not to exceed sixty months, placement in an institution, placement in the custody of the Division of Family and Children Services, community service, suspension of driving license privileges, requiring school attendance, and restitution. 7. I have talked with my parents/guardian and/or lawyer about this case and have had all of the above explained to me and had the opportunity to ask questions and have had all my questions answered. 8. I have the right to have a trial before the judge, I can have witnesses there to testify for me, and I can question anyone who might testify against me. I have the right to an appeal from the trial, if I disagree with the decision, and I have a right to receive a record and/or transcript of the proceedings in the event of an appeal.

A Unruly child means a child who is habitually and without justification truant from school; is habitually disobedient of the reasonable and lawful commands of his or her parents, guardian, or other custodian and is ungovernable; has committed an offense only applicable to a child; deserts his or her home; wanders or loiters about the streets between the hours of 12:00 Midnight and 5:00 A.M.; patronizes a bar; possesses alcoholic beverages; disobeys the terms of supervision contained in a court order; commits a delinquent act, and is in need of supervision, treatment, or rehabilitation. (See O.C.G.A. 15-11-2) A Delinquent child means a child who has committed a crime under the laws of Georgia or another state (if the crime occurred in the other state) and is in need of treatment and rehabilitation. (See O.C.G.A. 15-11-2)
 * __Unruly & Delinquent Behaviors__**

//The consequence of being charged with a Delinquent Behavior is that a Juvenile can be charged as an adult


 * Transfer of child from Juvenile Court to Superior Court for prosecution.**//

The law is very specific regarding the transfer for prosecution of a child to Superior Court by the Juvenile Court. There is an age limitation for transfer – 15 years of age at the time of the delinquent offense. It should be noted that a child 13 to 17 years of age may be prosecuted in Superior Court without the need for transfer by the Juvenile Court for the following offenses: murder, voluntary manslaughter, rape, aggravated sodomy, aggravated child molestation, aggravated sexual battery, and armed robbery, if committed with a firearm. Additionally, a child who is 13 or 14 and has committed aggravated battery resulting in serious bodily injury to a victim, may be prosecuted in Superior Court upon transfer from the Juvenile Court. (See O.C.G.A. 15-11-30.2 and 15-11-30.3)

Students will write their own response....
 * __Appropriate Behaviors to avoid Juvenile & Adult Justice Systems__**


 * __Effect of the "Rule of Law"__** : Students will write their own response to this as well...

//Influence on Citizens Behaviors-//

//Procedures on Policy Making-//

//Limiting the power of Government-//

[|www.newgeorgiaencyclopedia.com] [|www.djj.state.ga.us] [|www.georgiacourts.org/councils/cjcj/PDF/Forms/JUV20.PDF] http://research.lawyers.com/Georgia/Criminal-Process-in-Georgia.html http://www.georgiacourts.org/aoc/selfhelp/court_diagram.html#diagram
 * __Bibliography__**