PROFILE OF JUVENILE COURT JUDGES IN THE UNITED STATES

• NCJ Number: 15553
• Journal: Juvenile Justice Volume: 25 Issue: 2 Dated: (AUGUST 1974) Pages: 27-38
• Author(s): K C SMITH
• Date Published: 1974
• Length: 12 pages
• Corporate Author: National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges
• Publication Format: Article
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

STUDY DESIGNED TO EVALUATE JUDICIAL TRAINING NEEDS AND TO COMPARE THE GENERAL CHARACTER OF JUVENILE COURT JUDGES IN 1973 WITH THOSE OF JUDGES PRESIDING 10 YEARS EARLIER.

Abstract

A 32-ITEM QUESTIONNAIRE WAS SENT TO OVER 3000 JUDGES IN THE UNITED STATES WHO HAD JURISDICTION OVER JUVENILES. IT WAS FOUND THAT, EXCEPT FOR LARGE INCREASES IN THE AMOUNTS OF EDUCATION AND SALARIES, THE PROFILE OF THE JUVENILE COURT JUDGE WAS VERY SIMILIAR TO THAT INDICATED BY THE RESULTS OF A 1963 SURVEY. THE 1973 SURVEY RESULTS SHOWED THAT THE AVERAGE JUVENILE COURT JUDGE WAS OVER 50 YEARS OF AGE, MARRIED WITH CHILDREN, MALE, PROTESTANT, AND A LAW SCHOOL GRADUATE WITH A LONG CAREER IN PUBLIC SERVICE. IN ADDITION, HE SPENT LESS THAN ONE-FOURTH OF HIS JUDICIAL TIME ON JUVENILE MATTERS. THE MOST SIGNIFICANT FINDING OF THE SURVEY WAS THAT JUDGES IN BOTH THE 1963 AND 1973 RANKED 'ALTERNATIVES TO INCARCERATION' AS THEIR MOST PRESSING PROBLEM, EVEN THOUGH THREE-FOURTHS OF THE JUDGES RESPONDING TO THE 1973 SURVEY WERE NOT ON THE BENCH IN 1963.