Open Juvenile Courts Proceedings, Essay Example

Initially, Juvenile Courts proceedings were very confidential as they did not involve the public or the parents. In the O’Connell v Turner case, O’Connell was sentenced for vagrancy in school and his parents were opposed to the ruling prompting a petition. The Supreme Court reversed the ruling saying that his parents were ready to correct him and that the act he committed was not a crime but a misfortune. Such events prompted changes in the juvenile hearings to involve the public. However, opening the juvenile proceedings to the public may have positive or negative impacts to the judicial system.

It can be weighed out that closed sessions might deny the juveniles their rights. If the parents were involved in the O’Connell’s case, the outcome could not have been unjust. This implies that the juveniles need people to monitor their treatment during the proceedings to ensure a comprehensive investigation and a final fair rule. Public involvement in the juvenile courts will help the rest of the people to be aware of the offences that can trigger charges to their children and, hence, correct them. Open court procedures serves as platforms for monitoring injustices as well as opportunities for others to learn and avoid possible mistakes that can lead to prosecution.

However, the move to publicize juvenile court hearings can compromise the justice process. Those who are siding with the accused might come up with excuses to prove that their client is innocent. The justice process can take another course making the process to be long and complicated. Some information given as evidence in court is private and confidential. Allowing the public to access the information can traumatize the accused and this may affect his/her life after imprisonment. The states should, therefore, consider the outcomes of conducting a public hearing with respect to the graveness of the case.