ANSWER QUESTIONS

Answer Questions

Answer Questions

Q 1) Discuss and identify the major participants in the juvenile adjudications process. What are each person's roles and responsibilities in the course of a juvenile trial?

According to Little (2001) prosecutor and defendant are the major participants in the juvenile adjudications. Once an indictment or information has been filed with the trial court, the accused is scheduled for arraignment. At the arraignment, the accused is informed of the charges, advised of the rights of criminal defendants, and asked to enter a plea to the charges. Sometimes, a plea of guilty is the result of negotiations between the prosecutor and the defendant.

If the accused pleads guilty or pleads nolo contendere (accepts penalty without admitting guilt), the judge may accept or reject the plea. If the plea is accepted, no trial is held and the offender is sentenced at this proceeding or at a later date. The plea may be rejected and proceed to trial if, for example, the judge believes that the accused may have been coerced (Richard, 2003).

As far as the responsibilities of the major participants are concerned we should understand that if the accused pleads not guilty or not guilty by reason of insanity, a date is set for the trial. A person accused of a serious crime is guaranteed a trial by jury. However, the accused may ask for a bench trial where the judge, rather than a jury, serves as the finder of fact. In both instances the prosecution and defense present evidence by questioning witnesses while the judge decides on issues of law. The trial results in acquittal or conviction on the original charges or on lesser included offenses (Little, 2001).

After the trial a defendant may request appellate review of the conviction or sentence. In some cases, appeals of convictions are a matter of ...