The Michigan Juvenile Defense Network is an opportunity to connect attorneys across Michigan who provide court appointed legal representation to youth facing delinquency proceedings. We plan to provide an interactive listserv, host trainings, and disseminate information relevant the practice of family law.
The listserv will be maintained by the National Juvenile Defender Center (NJDC). It is unique in Michigan in that only juvenile defense attorneys shall be members of this listserv.
NJDC Ten Principles For Providing Quality Delinquency Representation Through Public Defense Delivery Systems
Recent Trainings and Materials
Legal Questions about Youths’ Capacities in Court, Randy Otto, Ph.D. (August 2011)
Legal Questions about Youths’ Capacities reviewed the legal questions in delinquency cases that require information about youth's capacities, including the validity of waivers of Miranda rights, the voluntariness of confessions, the competence of youth to participate in the legal process, and the transfer of youth to criminal court. For each of these, the module provides information about the relevant behavioral and social science research that is useful for addressing the questions. The module also provides an overview of forensic evaluations performed by mental health examiners to address youth's capacities, and gives participants information about how to obtain or review such evaluations.
- Legal Questions about Youths' Capacities, August 2011 PowerPoint
- Considerations in the Assessment of Competent to Proceed in Juvenile Court, Randy Otto
- Adolescent Legal Competence in Court, MacArthur Foundation Resesarch Network on Adolescent Development and Juvenile Justice
The MacArthur Juvenile Court Training Curriculum was prepared by the National Juvenile Defender Center and the Juvenile Law Center.
Hosted by the University of Michigan Law School Juvenile Justice Center, Washtenaw County Office of Public Defender, Michigan Council on Crime and Delinquency, and Campaign for Justice. This event was made possible with support from the National Juvenile Defender Center.