Addressing Secondary Trauma and Other Mental Health Implications on Youth Defenders in North Carolina
This May we are celebrating the National Mental Health Month with the purpose of raising awareness of behavioral health issues reducing the stigma that has always been around…
OJD Case Law Corner Vol. 14
Happy Friday, Defenders! Welcome back to Case Law Corner. If you noticed that it’s been a little longer than usual since our last case law update, then you…
Women’s History Month Spotlight: Tonza D. Ruffin
Last month, the United States celebrated the National Black History Month forcing attention to the contributions of African Americans to the country. To honor black leaders in our…
A Walk into a Juvenile Detention Center in North Carolina as an Assistant Juvenile Defender
"If you've never been inside, you should mentally prepare yourself," my boss said. "It can be very uncomfortable." I had been in a detention center many times before;…
Youth Assessment & Screening Instrument (YASI)
The Department of Juvenile Justice (DJJ) is implementing a new screening tool (YASI) to replace the current risk and needs assessment. The stated purpose of this new assessment…
Racial Disparity in Juvenile Justice: Insights from OJD’s Recent CLE Training
Last week, on February 9, 2024, Director of Children’s Defense Michelle Duprey with Chief Public Defender Woodrena Baker-Harrell and Assistant Public Defender Lyana Hunter joined us for a…
Upcoming OJD Virtual CLE Training Series
Defenders! OJD’s 2024 Virtual Series is up and running. We wanted to take this opportunity to remind you about our monthly trainings and forecast some upcoming topics. Each…
OJD Case Law Corner Vol. 13: Commonwealth v. Mattis
Our appellate courts have been quiet this past month on delinquency matters, which makes for a great opportunity to highlight noteworthy cases coming out of other states. This…
Rules of Restitution
Among the frequently used dispositional alternatives in juvenile court is the imposition of restitution. The Court’s ability to order restitution is covered by N.C.G.S. 7B-2506(4) and 7B-2506(22). The…
Top Ten Reasons Why YOU Should Consider Applying for the Juvenile First Degree Murder Roster
As I hope you know, OJD is on a mission to recruit attorneys to represent 13 through 17-year-olds charged with first degree murder and facing life without parole.…