Children and the Law Posts
Is lack of dental care child neglect?
Lori ComstockA Stroudsburg, Pa., mom was threatened to be reported for child abuse after a dentist claims she failed to take her child for regular dental treatment.
On March 19, Trey Hoyumpa posted a letter she received from Smiles 4 Keeps, a pediatric dental office in Bartonsville, Pa.
In the letter, the office informs her that if she does not bring her child for a “regular professional cleaning and treatment,” they can charge her with “dental neglect.”
N.J. bill would limit religious vaccine exemptions
Nicole LeonardIt would be more difficult for New Jersey parents to get their children exempted from mandatory vaccines based on religious grounds if a new bill introduced Thursday becomes law.
Children in the Justice System
Elizabeth S. Scott, Emily Buss and David D. MeyerChildren and the Law Restatement Reporters Elizabeth Scott, Emily Buss, and David Meyer highlight the ways in which children are different from adults, particularly the heightened vulnerability when in police custody.
Court: South Carolina Law Poses Risk to Student Rights
Taylor CarrollStudents’ freedom of expression and due process are put at risk by a South Carolina law that led to the arrest of two high school students for videotaping a classmate being flipped out of a chair, a federal appeals court says.
Adolescents More Likely to Plead Guilty to Crimes They Did Not Commit
Taylor CarrollAccording to Psych Central, experts are finding that teenagers are far more likely to confess to crimes they didn’t commit compared to adults.
A study’s findings concluded that because they are less capable of making mature decisions, teenagers should not be permitted to make deals where they face a lesser charge in return for pleading guilty.
Minnesota School District Settles Free Speech Lawsuit
Taylor CarrollThe Star Tribune recently reported that the Edina school board has settled a lawsuit filed against the school district by five high school students and their parents. The suit alleged the school district violated the students’ First Amendment rights by refusing to sponsor and later disbanding their Young Conservatives Club.
California Supreme Court: Law Barring Direct File of Juveniles Is Retroactive
Jeremy LoudenbackThe California Supreme Court ruled on Thursday that a recent ballot initiative aimed at preventing the transfer of juveniles into the adult justice system could be applied retroactively to pending court cases.
Revisit teen sentences
Times UnionNew York will no longer treat many 16- and 17-year old offenders as adults.
Experts applaud decision to close Lincoln Hills and form other teen prisons
Hunter SaenzClosing a Wisconsin teen prison is a decision that’s being applauded by some who say closing Lincoln Hills may help teens. But others warn it’s just the first stop to fixing a broken path in the criminal justice system.
Project Spotlight: Restatement of the Law, Children and the Law
Debra H. LehrmannThe law regulating children, and their relationships with family and the state, has grown complex. We now grapple with creating a cohesive understanding of the law that balances children’s rights against parental authority and the state’s commitment to support child wellbeing. That is the purpose of this project.