This website is for information purposes only. This website has no relation to Alaska Youth Courts, the nonprofit organization.
What is Juvenile Law?
Juvenile Law is a part of the justice system that usually pertains to people under the age of 18; however the age described as a Juvenile can vary from different states. If a youth commits a crime, and they are considered not to be old enough to be held accountable for the criminal act, the youth justice system will handle the case and hand out the punishment in most cases the punishment authorized by the youth courts is more of an attempt to reform the Juvenile instead of punishment.
However if the crime is considered to serious in nature and it’s been determined that the youth was fully aware of his or her actions at the time of the crime the youth courts can waive their rights to rehabilitate the offender and in these cases the youth would be considered an adult and tried in adult criminal courts.
The Juvenile legal code was created for the promotion of welfare of children, the state can also legislate for the protection, care, and maintenance of children, if it’s deemed the child is unsafe condition or in an upbringing that’s detrimental to the well being or future well being of the child.
Why do Juvenile Laws Differ from Adult Laws?
The reason adults and juveniles have different criminal codes is because juveniles who violate laws are not treated as criminals because youths are considered to be been ill-informed juveniles who were misguided in their decisions. Youths are normally at a stage in their lives where they are easily influenced by their surroundings and their upbringings which led them to making the wrong decisions. For this reason the youth courts will be more lenient on youths who have been found to be guilty of crimes, in most cases the courts will attempt to reform youths who have been involved in criminal offenses by giving them an environment where they could be encouraged, helped and given the proper assistance, instead of giving them a way ticket to jail.
Age of Juveniles from State to State
Juvenile or Youth laws are imposed on minors usually under the age of 18 responsible for criminal acts, however the age of a minor determined by each judiciary branch of the state, and can differ from state to state:
The following states consider anyone under the age of 18 a Juvenile:
Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Delaware, District of Columbia, Florida, Hawaii, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Minnesota, Mississippi, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Tennessee, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wyoming
The following states consider anyone under the age of 17 a Juvenile:
Georgia, Illinois, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Michigan, Missouri, New Hampshire, South Carolina, Texas, Wisconsin
The following states consider anyone under the age of 16 a Juvenile:
Connecticut, New York, North Carolina