Abstract
Because of the rapid growth of so-called teen-age juries and the publicity surrounding them,NCCD selected eighteen teen-age juries for a study in 1965. The investigation showed that many of the claims made on behalf of the teen-age jury-for example, that it gives a teen-ager "a fair trial by a jury of his peers"—are dubious. The juvenile jury lacks legal foundation and signifies a de facto surrender of judicial authority and responsibility. No substantial evidence was found to support the assertion that the teen-age jury reduces juvenile delinquency and youth crime. The procedure perpetuates the archaic and unsound practice of jury sentencing long abandoned, even for criminal cases, in all but a few states. While the juvenile jury system is unsound, active involvement of young persons in combating crime and delinquency is wel comed and may be manifested through the establishment of youth advisory committees attached to courts and committees that offer assistance to youngsters in trouble.
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