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Children's Right to Legal Counsel
CJJ agrees with the U.S. Supreme Court decisions In Re Gault and Kent v. United States that guarantee children accused of delinquent offenses and their families a right to counsel. Furthermore, CJJ believes that in no case should a child surrender or waive the right to legal counsel.
Access to competent counsel is necessary to ensure that children – particularly those from low-income families and of racial, ethnic and linguistic minority background – are treated fairly if they come into contact with the juvenile justice system. CJJ calls upon the federal and state governments to provide resources to facilitate training and leadership which will ensure the highest quality of legal representation for all children.
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