Logo
  • Home
  • Ask
  • Teen Help Network
  • About
    • About Judge Tom
    • Books
    • FAQs
    • Press Room
  • Your Rights
    • Crime and Punishment
    • Student Rights at School
    • You and Your Body
    • You and the Internet
    • Juvenile Justice System
    • LGBT Youth Rights
    • More Categories
  • Blog
  • Get Help
    • Videos
    • A Teenager’s Guide to Juvenile Court
    • Books
    • Research & Resources
  • Newsletter Signup

 

Q&A

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
Logo
September 17, 2012
Judge Tom
Crime and Punishment
0

What is an incorrigible child?

PreviousNext

In the juvenile justice system in the U.S., there are crimes referred to as “status offenses.” These are crimes that only a minor (someone under age 18) can commit. If found guilty of a status offense, you are referred to as an “incorrigible child.” Examples include runaway, curfew, truancy, and possession of tobacco products and alcohol. You can be cited into juvenile court for these offenses by your school or probation officer or receive a ticket from the police with a scheduled court date.

Photo by Digital Sextant (Flickr)

Once you go to court for an incorrigible offense, you can either admit it or deny the charge. If you deny it, the court will set a hearing where the prosecutor has to prove the case against you. The court may or may not appoint a lawyer to represent you. It depends on the court’s policy and available funds to pay an attorney. You could also be appointed a lawyer from the public defender’s office.

Many status offenses are handled by local “teen courts” if these exist where you live. The consequences usually include community service hours, a paper or a class about the law as it relates to your offense. Once you complete the consequences, the case is closed and these offenses should have no effect on your life once you become an adult. Depending on your history, you may also be eligible for a diversion program. Once you successfully complete all terms of diversion, the case will be closed and you won’t have a record that will appear in a background check.

A study published in 2014 regarding status offenses in Texas concludes with the following:

“The findings in this report suggest that, as a nation, while we have made significant progress in reducing confinement of status offenders, there remains a great deal of work to be done to shift away from confinement as the means of responding to these behaviors.”

Share this
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.

Find great resources in our

Teen Help Network


Leave A Comment Cancel reply