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 (CST) evaluation. The Judge referred…
Tag: Juvenile Court Clinic
From Worry to Stability: Bennie
Bennie, 12, was chronically absent from school. He was living with his paternal grandmother and father who was bedridden due to intestinal cancer and complications from a prior injury. His mother had abandoned the family years before; Bennie had never developed a meaningful relationship with her. The school knew Bennie was anxious about being away…
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 her three younger siblings due to neglect….
Protecting a Vulnerable Child: Kyle and Sheila Johnson
Kyle and Sheila Johnson, both 33, were court ordered to the Juvenile Court Clinic for Care and Protection (C&P) Parenting evaluations after their 17-month-old daughter, Caroline, was found to have fractures in both legs consistent with nonaccidental trauma. The couple was divorcing, and Caroline had been placed in Department of Children and Families (DCF) custody…
Path to Recovery and Wellness: Erin
Now age 17, Erin’s struggle with substances began early–marijuana at 12 followed by benzodiazepines, cocaine, and eventually fentanyl. Over the past two years, addiction had wound tightly into her daily existence, despite multiple attempts at treatment: three stays at a youth detox facility, an inpatient hospitalization, and months of outpatient therapy. Still, she couldn’t stop…
Massachusetts Alliance of Juvenile Court Clinics (MAJCC) 