Breaking the Cycle of System Failures: Jessica Jessica, 17, appeared before the Juvenile Court following a Care and Protection (C&P) petition citing serious concerns about her mental health and serious neglect at home. The judge referred her for a Juvenile Court Clinic evaluation. Four months earlier, the Department of Children and Families (DCF) had removed…
Tag: Court Clinician
Competency to Stand Trial
Delinquency Behavior Successfully Redirected: Rafael Rafael, 16, had left school and quit basketball. While associating with older peers, he had accumulated delinquency charges, escalating from trespassing and possession of burglarious tools to armed robbery. At the Juvenile Court hearing, his attorney wondered whether Rafael understood the legal process and requested a Competency to Stand Trial…
Delinquency
Resilience in the Face of Adversity: Matthew Matthew, 17, became involved with the Juvenile Court due to Delinquency charges of assault and battery and assault and battery on a public employee. Matthew’s charges stemmed from an incident in which he punched another student several times in a school bathroom and pushed a teacher who intervened….
Massachusetts Alliance of Juvenile Court Clinics (MAJCC) 