CA Supreme Court Opinion in R.V.

CA Supreme Court Decision in in re R.V. – decision reversed a lower court decision which had found a 16 year-old Orange County boy competent to stand trial. The case raised two issues of first impression, including the question of who has the burden of proof in showing incompetence, and also, what the standard of […]

Incompetent Youth in California Juvenile Justice

This article offers a vehicle for discussion of California juvenile incompetence to stand trial.  It begins with an overview of the California juvenile justice system and a profile of youth in juvenile justice, briefly reviews the incompetency laws applying to adults, and then describes existing legal provisions to address juvenile incompetence.  It also describes the […]