My concern when I asked this question was for the kids. I guess there are some pretty strong protections in place, but I can imagine the impact on a youngster if a error were made. There seems to be a lot of hue and cry lately to try more children as adults, and all too often decisions are made in response to public opinion.
“Oops, sorry Jimmy/Jenny. Our bad. I know you’ve been in a grown-up jail, put through an adult trial, had your name and picture in the papers and on tv and all. And that half your neighbors still think you’re guilty. But we’re sorry. So now you can go back to being an ordinary 14 year-old.”
Is this scenario even remotely possible?
Peace,
mangeorge
This being the country of freedom of the press, the fact that juveniles’ names are not published when accused of a crime is not solely the result of government policy; most newspapers do not identify such juveniles as a matter of editorial policy, and most states do not identify them in court pleadings. “In the Matter of Daniel M.” would be the styling for a brief if the accused is a juvenile, as opposed to the more familiar “Commonwealth v. Morales” that would identify an adult criminal case.
When a juvenile case is waived into circuit court, the pleadings use the adult court form, and reveal the name of the accused. Most newspapers, however, continue to respect the anonymity of the accused unless and until the guilty verdict.
So, mangeorge, the best answer I can give is, “It’s more likely that the accused 14-year-old’s name will get out, but it’s no guarantee.” As to the adult jail business, again, the confinement will vary by the case. If you have a kid who’s busted out of youth facilities before, adult jail may be the only thing that can hold him. And with all due respect to tender years, if a kid’s busting out of youth correctinal facilities, "…an ordinary 14-year-old"may not be the best way to describe him.
- Rick