S Massachusetts » Juvenile court

Judicial selection, 2022

• Elected

• Appointed

• Combination

Judicial specialization, 2022

• All mixed case types

• Mostly mixed

• Mostly specialized

Caseload assignment, 2022

• Mixed assignment methods

• Individual discretion

• Statute/State court rules

Judicial experience, training, and tools, 2022

• Qualification Requirements

• Required Annual Training

• Required Risk/Need Assessments and Pre-Dispositional Reports

• Juvenile Justice Bench Books

Courtroom shackling, 2015

Restricted by judiciary

Massachusetts Rules of Criminal Procedure (7/1/15) apply to juveniles per Rule 1.  Rule 45 indicates that gagging or shackling may be employed if the trial judge has found such restraint reasonably necessary to maintain order.  If the judge orders restraint/s, reasons must be entered into the record and (if present) the jury must be instructed ‘that such restraint is not to be considered.’

Competency, 2015

In Massachusetts, the legal basis for determining juvenile competency is found in case law, where the state supreme court applied the mental health statute, which states that competency procedures apply to [any] subject (including juveniles). Procedures there align with the Dusky standard, but do not have juvenile-specific provisions for examination, etc.

• No juvenile standard

• Juvenile standard is the adult standard

• Juvenile justice standard exists

• JJ standard includes developmental immaturity