Deck 9: Formal Procedures of Juvenile Courts: Adjudication and Disposition

Question 1

The legal document that specifies the alleged offense and initiates juvenile court adjudication is referred to as a(n):

A) indictment.
B) petition.
C) informal consent decree.
D) disposition.

Answer 1

B

Question 2

Compared to cases that are not petitioned into juvenile court, delinquency cases that are formally processed through a petition tend to involve older juveniles (over age 15) with longer court histories, who are charged with more serious offenses.

Answer 2

True

Question 3

Males are more likely than females, and blacks are more likely than youth of other races to have their cases petitioned.

Answer 3

True

Question 4

The largest portion of petitioned status offense cases involve ___________ offenses.

A) runaway
B) ungovernability
C) liquor law violations
D) truancy

Question 5

Which of the following is a possible outcome of the adjudication hearing?

A) adjudicate a "delinquent youth"
B) adjudicate a "youth in need of intervention"
C) dismiss the petition
D) All of the above.

Question 6

If a juvenile is not adjudicated, the court is legally obligated to dismiss the case.

Question 7

What is the most common outcome for juvenile court cases that are not adjudicated?

A) out-of-home placement
B) probation
C) other sanction
D) dismissed

Question 8

The "____________________" provides the procedural foundation for formal adjudicatory hearings.

A) essentials of due process
B) formalization proposition
C) epistomology of juvenile courts
D) routinization of juvenile justice

Question 9

What is the burden of proof in the fact-finding process of juvenile court adjudication?

A) totality of circumstances
B) probable cause
C) preponderance of evidence
D) beyond a reasonable doubt

Question 10

The __________ requirement necessitates that the juvenile understands the nature of the charges and can assist in the preparation and presentation of a defense, including being capable of testifying at the adjudication hearing.

A) mobilization
B) priority
C) competency
D) fortification

Question 11

Sentencing in juvenile court is referred to as:

A) discretion.
B) waiver.
C) disposition.
D) reaction formation.

Question 12

In most jurisdictions, the adjudication hearing and disposition hearing are separated in time and purpose.

Question 13

Disposition is not a fact-finding, adversarial process. Instead, it maintains a(n) _____________ and ______________ focus.

A) retributive and punitive
B) shaming and reintegrative
C) nonconfrontational and diversionary
D) individualized and rehabilitative

Question 14

The predisposition report attempts to provide assessment information to the judge regarding the youth and his or her background and social environment so that disposition can be:

A) individualized.
B) made to fit the crime.
C) directed at rehabilitation.
D) Both A and C.

Question 15

The offense section of the predisposition report is statutorily restricted to a legal definition of the violation(s).

Question 16

The social history section of the predisposition report does not offer a youth assessment because probation officers rarely have the expertise to assess youth. This is left to a psychological evaluation.

Question 17

The most crucial section of the predisposition report is the final section in which:

A) standardized questions are addressed about the juvenile and his/her family.
B) the juvenile's attorney formally declares whether the youth admits or denies the findings from the fact-finding hearing.
C) the results of psychological testing and evaluation are presented.
D) the probation officer offers an evaluative summary and recommendation for disposition.

Question 18

The dispositional hearing is not an adversarial process. This means that:

A) rules of evidence are not strictly followed.
B) the disposition hearing involves more limited due process rights than the adjudicatory hearing.
C) the roles of the prosecutor and defense attorney are less adversarial at this stage.
D) the juvenile court becomes oriented toward individualized rehabilitation.
E) All of the above.

Question 19

The idea that judges should follow the "least restrictive option" when formulating a disposition means that they:

A) incarcerate all youth who are eligible.
B) impose the maximum punishment allowed by law.
C) use the disposition that places the least restriction on the juvenile's freedom while still ensuring public safety and rehabilitation.
D) do not remove any children from their homes.

Question 20

What is the most commonly used disposition for adjudicated juvenile offenders?

A) probation
B) placement in a community treatment facility
C) commitment to a state traininig school
D) confinement in detention

Question 21

In Roper v. Simmons (2005), the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that it is unconstitutional to impose capital punishment for crimes committed while under the age of 18.

Question 22

The following questions are on Reading 9.1: Feld and Schaefer (2010).
-S. Supreme Court case do Feld and Schaefer refer to as providing foundation to juvenile procedural due process?

A) Kent v. United States (1966)
B) in re Gault (1967)
C) in re Winship (1970)
D) McKeiver v. Pennsylvania (1971)

Question 23

The following questions are on Reading 9.1: Feld and Schaefer (2010).
-Despite statutory law requiring appointment of counsel for youth facing out-of-home placement, lawyers did not represent about one-quarter of the Minnesota youth whom judges removed from their homes.

Question 24

The following questions are on Reading 9.1: Feld and Schaefer (2010).
-Feld and Schaefer argue that the presence of counsel consistently appears to be an aggravating factor when judges sentence delinquents.

Question 25

The following questions are on Reading 9.2: Scott et al. (2015).
-Since 2005, the Supreme Court of the United States has made a series of decisions that delineated the principle that children are developmentally different from adults. What constitutional Amendment was the focus of these decisions?

A) 2nd
B) 4th
C) 6th
D) 8th

Question 26

The following questions are on Reading 9.2: Scott et al. (2015).
-Life without parole for adolescents was declared unconstitutional by the U.S. Supreme Court and fully banned even in the most extreme cases.

Question 27

The following questions are on Reading 9.2: Scott et al. (2015).
-In order to keep juvenile records from impacting the futures of court-involved youth, the developmental framework advocates for:

A) maintaining confidentiality throughout the court process.
B) automatically expunging minor offenses.
C) providing a process by which to get serious offenses expunged.
D) All of the above.