Seminar - 2 hours. This two unit class provides an overview of the major juvenile delinquency procedural hearings: detention, jurisdiction, disposition and transfer hearings. The class will discuss the recent United States Supreme Court decisions on life without the possibility of parole for minors and how these decisions are influenced by recent scientific findings on brain development in young adults. The constitutional rights of students while in school will be reviewed in the context of mandatory drug testing and police interrogations and searches of students while on campus. The class will attend a tour of the Yolo Juvenile Hall. A professor from the UC Davis Medical School will lecture the class on the physical and psychological issues surrounding puberty. While the primary focus of the class will be on juvenile delinquency, the course will have a segment on the constitutional rights of parents to make decisions about parenting their children and when the state can intervene. A professor from the UC Davis Medical School will lecture the class on how investigations are handled when child abuse is alleged. The class is organized around a series of weekly power points that will be provided before class for review. A research paper, a minimum of 12 pages, on a juvenile topic is required.
Final Assessment: Paper
Grading Mode: Letter Grading