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Juve crime, adult punishment and now ... adult trial rights in Kansas

By Douglas A. Berman

Thanks to this post at How Appealing, I sse that the Kansas Supreme Court on Friday held In the matter of LM, No. 96, 176 (Kan. June 20, 2008) (available here), that "that juveniles have a right to a jury trial under the Sixth and Fourteenth Amendments to the federal Constitution and the Kansas Constitution."  Local articles here and here provide a summary of the ruling and it's potential impact.  From the Kansas City Star:In a decision affecting every juvenile criminal case in Kansas, the state Supreme Court has guaranteed juvenile defendants the right to a trial before a jury.  The court ruled Friday that young defendants should be afforded the protections of a jury because the distinctions between juvenile and adult justice have eroded over the past 20 years as lawmakers cracked down on juvenile crime...continue to full post

Full post as published by Sentencing Law and Policy on June 22, 2008 (boomark / email).