From a Lawyer’s View: Jones v. Mississippi
Jones v. Mississippi: The Bare Minimum is “Constitutionally Sufficient” On April 22, 2021, the Supreme Court of the United States issued its decision in Jones v. Mississippi. The opinion was a long-awaited follow-up to the Miller v. Alabama (2012) and Montgomery v. Louisiana (2016) decisions involving the constitutionality of LWOP sentences for children convicted of first-degree murder. Miller and Montgomery were important victories for children, but they left many questions unanswered. For i
From a Lawyer’s View: Resolution of complaints against Guilford and Vance County school system
Resolution of complaints against Guilford and Vance County school systems means better services for incarcerated students with disabilities By Tessa Hale, Staff Attorney at Legal Aid of North Carolina’s statewide education justice project, Advocates for Children’s Services. The first time I visited my client at Vance County Jail, an adult facility, I asked him what he did to fill his time. He told me that he did push-ups. He was just 17 years old at that time. As his education attorney, I kne
From a Lawyer’s View: The Importance of Creativity in the Representation of Juveniles at Dispo
Happy Friday Readers! No Week in Review this week, but please keep reading for our 2nd installment in our new series: “A Lawyer’s View.” The Importance of Creativity in the Representation of Juveniles at Disposition: Advocating for Alternative Dispositions Dispositional hearings often feel a bit like the players are on the scene of the Bill Murray movie “Ground Hog Day.” The juvenile court counselor presents his or her recommendations to the court. The attorney has no questions but desires to be
Week in Review: May 25-29
We’re already back at the weekend AND greeting June on Sunday. Can you believe how time flies? Who would think when we’re all home, all the time. We hope your Memorial Day weekend was restful! Tip of the Week – Building Trust Especially during the era of Covid-19, innvesting time is the single most important strategy for building trust and rapport with your client. You need to listen and ask questions without judgment, and explain why you need to ask certain questions. Allow your client the oppo
Important North Carolina Defender Alert
Defenders, We want to make you aware of operational changes instituted by state juvenile justice officials in response to the Covid-19 pandemic that may affect youth held in detention. You can find the official policy release here. Of particular concern is the provision providing for “Placement of all juvenile detention center/crisis and assessment center admissions in medical room confinement for 14 days and until cleared by a medical provider to join the general population.” Our understanding
Juveniles & COVID-19
As you may know, courts around the country are limiting or altogether restricting visitation to juvenile detention to combat the spread of COVID-19. While at a base level, important to the safety and physical health of these youth, another issue has come from these sweeping changes: added mental health stress. You can read this article from The Marshall Project. With the limits on visitation, youth are concerned for their loved ones, parents cannot see their child, and the implications of the r