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Know your rights! Youth justice and juvenile law answers.

Askthejudge.info features regular updates from the news, important decisions from the nation′s courts, and online discussions with Judge Tom. Find out everything you need to know about youth rights, juvenile law and juvenile justice. AsktheJudge – Empowering youth one question at a time.

Disclaimer: The information contained in this site is made available to the general public and is not intended to serve as legal advice.You should consult a trained legal professional in your area for questions you may have about the laws affecting juveniles or any legal interpretations.

Copyright, 2014
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September 10, 2007
Judge Tom
Juvenile Justice System
2

What is a lawsuit?

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Have you ever worked for someone, baby-sat, or done yard work and not been paid?  Was your first car a lemon and the seller refused to do anything about it?  Does someone keep bothering you even after being warned by the police? 

If your answer to any of these questions is yes, you may have a lawsuit on your hands. A civil lawsuit is a disagreement with someone about property, personal behavior, injury, or any activity that affects your rights. A criminal lawsuit can only be filed by the government—by a prosecutor. It isn′t a private suit with one person against another or against a company. A criminal suit pits the government (city, state, etc.) against an individual.

Everyone has the right to go to court to ask for help in resolving a dispute. However, when this right is abused, the court may limit its access. For example, an inmate in West Virginia, serving a life sentence for murder, filed 5 lawsuits seeking hundreds of thousands of dollars in damages. He claimed injury for such incidents as glass in his yogurt, an exploding television, and an exploding can of shaving cream! All of his lawsuits were thrown out of court as frivolous, and restrictions were placed on his use of typewriters and computers.

In your civil dispute, if all attempts to resolve the issue fail, you may ask a court to settle it through a lawsuit. With the help of your parents, guardian, or attorney, you may be able to sue the person or company that violated your rights. Generally, until you′re an adult, you can′t file a lawsuit by yourself. What is called a next friend must file the suit on your behalf.

Once the lawsuit is filed, the court, with or without a jury, decides the case after considering the evidence and the arguments of both attorneys. You and your opponent are required to follow the court′s decision.

Millions of lawsuits are filed in the United States each year. Some take years to settle or get to trial. Alternate dispute resolution (ADR) is a process of settling many of these lawsuits without waiting for your day in court. The trend in all areas of litigation, with the exception of criminal prosecution, includes some form of ADR.

A similar practice called plea bargaining exists in criminal cases. This occurs when the prosecutor offers to reduce the charge against you if you agree to admit to the reduced charge. Let′s say you′re caught breaking into someone′s house and stealing $50. The prosecutor files two charges against you—burglary and theft. The “bargain” offered is your admission to one of the charges in return for dismissal of the other. This is a common and necessary practice in criminal and juvenile delinquency cases. There are too many cases filed for each to go to trial, and the offender′s rehabilitation and treatment can begin sooner if a plea bargain is accepted.

Mediation and arbitration are two methods of dispute resolution that have become increasingly popular around the nation. You may have experienced similar methods at school in settling disputes with other students. Mediation involves a neutral third person who assists the parties in the lawsuit to reach a compromise. Suggestions and proposals regarding settlement are made. If an agreement can′t be reached, the parties may agree to take the next step—arbitration—or go to trial.

arbitration

Photo by Andy 54321 (Flickr)

In arbitration, the parties to the lawsuit agree in advance to let a third person consider the case and decide the issues. You and your attorney meet with the arbitrator and your opponents. The case is discussed, both sides present their evidence and arguments, and the arbitrator reaches a decision. The arbitrator is usually someone who has knowledge and experience in the area concerning the lawsuit. He or she is generally trained in arbitration skills. Hundreds of cases are settled this way, saving time, money, and aggravation. 

If all attempts at resolution fail and you′re considering filing a lawsuit, make sure the time limit hasn′t expired. A statute of limitations requires that lawsuits be filed within a specified time (two years, for example). If you go past the deadline, you won′t be able to pursue your rights. This law applies to both civil and criminal cases, with a few exceptions in criminal law (murder and treason, for example, have no statute of limitations). These crimes may be charged at any time, even twenty to thirty years after the incident.

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Judge Tom

The Author Judge Tom

Judge Tom is the founder and moderator of AsktheJudge.info. He is a retired juvenile judge and spent 23 years on the bench. He has written several books for lawyers and judges as well as teens and parents including 'Teen Cyberbullying Investigated' (Free Spirit Publishing) and 'Every Vote Matters: the Power of Your Voice, from Student Elections to the Supreme Court' (Free Spirit Publishing). In 2020, the American Bar Association published "Cyberbullying Law," the nation's first case-law book written for lawyers, judges and law students. When he's not answering teens' questions, Judge Tom volunteers with the American Red Cross and can be found hiking, traveling and reading.

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2 Comments

  • Pramoj
    January 29, 2014 9:36 am count( 0 )

    Sign over a deed of trust to creditor but after bank ruptxy was final and my debt were excused At what law shall I proceed to retrieve my ownership
    Dear Pramoj: AsktheJudge.info is an education site for & about teenagers and the laws that affect them. We don’t provide legal advice to teens or adults. We suggest you talk with a local lawyer who practices property or bankruptcy law. Good luck.
    (This is information only – not legal advice).

  • frank gonzales
    June 28, 2010 11:37 pm count( 1 )

    hey. i was recently sued by a local subways restaurant near my school for alledgely stealing a soda from the refrigerator that is next to the cashier. i was being sued for a total of 50 to 90 hours of community service. while in the court they showed the evidence which was a video of me with my 2 friend it shows me leaving the restaurand then it shows one of my friend snatching the soda and then leaving without paying it. during the video they realized they had the wrong person and the judge found me innocent and let me go the subway people also then apologized to me. i have no idea how they got my information to sued me. but my question is can i sued them back for money beacause i did had to pay for a lawyer and the video shows me not doing it and i didnt knew of it. thank you very much for your help i appreciate it. thank you
    Dear Frank: Askthejudge.info does not provide legal advice. You are asking if you can sue the Subway store for your losses since you were found not guilty. This is something you should discuss with your defense attorney. Normally a victim of a crime is not liable to an alleged perpretator even if found not guilty. The exception is when someone is falsely named as a suspect with intent to harm that person. False or fraudulent prosecution may be something you could look into. Good luck.
    [This is information only – not legal advice].