NCJ Number
145146
Date Published
1992
Length
0 pages
Annotation
This video dramatizes the behavior of a 15-year-old boy and his friends in the course of a day and an evening, and then a commentator identifies those behaviors that constitute status or criminal offenses under Missouri law.
Abstract
The behaviors dramatized through the fictional characters of "Kevin Stewart" and his friends involve the following offenses: truancy (a status offense); marijuana smoking (possession of a controlled substance); tampering (operation of his father's vehicle without his permission); underage driving; the use of a fake ID to purchase beer as a minor; property damage; burglary; shoplifting; peace disturbance; "acting in concert" with others who committed theft; and resisting arrest. Kevin's father reported his car as stolen, and Kevin was subsequently arrested when the car was seen by police parked at a friend's house. The commentator also discusses other potential offenses, such as assault and attempted offenses. The dispositional hearing for Kevin is dramatized, and the purpose of the Missouri juvenile justice system as a treatment, rather than a punitive, mechanism is explained. Limitations on due-process rights in the processing of juveniles in the Missouri juvenile justice system are identified. The option of trying juvenile defendants in adult court is also explained.