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Northern Essex Community College

Module 12 Discussion Activity

Review the discussion overview, learning objectives, prompt, and participation expectations before posting.

Overview

Juvenile justice in the United States has evolved through a series of landmark Supreme Court decisions that define the rights of minors in the legal system. For this discussion, students will select and summarize two of the listed cases, such as In re Gault (1967) or Roper v. Simmons (2005), highlighting each case’s major legal principles and outcomes. The summaries should clearly identify the legal factors—such as due process, sentencing limits, or procedural rights—associated with the chosen rulings. Through this activity, students will gain a deeper understanding of how these cases have shaped fairness and accountability within juvenile proceedings.

Learning Objectives

(These are not the questions to be answered. Please review and answer the Discussion Topic(s).)

  • LO1: Identify the due process rights established by U.S. Supreme Court landmark cases, and how they affected juvenile proceedings. (SLO4)
  • LO2: Detail how the juvenile justice system differs from the adult criminal justice system. (SLO4)
Discussion Topic(s)
  • Read and then summarize two of the below cases.
    • Kent v. U.S. (1966)
    • In re Gault (1967)
    • In re Winship (1970)
    • McKeiver v. Pennsylvania (1971)
    • Breed v. Jones (1970)
    • Schall v. Martin (1984)
    • Roper v. Simmons (2005)
  • What legal factor was associated with each case you selected?
Acceptable and Ethical Use of AI
  • Use AI to help you organize and clarify the key facts and holdings of the two juvenile justice cases you selected so you can accurately summarize each case before writing your response.
  • Use AI to assist you in identifying and explaining the specific legal factor or constitutional principle associated with each case, helping you frame your analysis before completing the activity.
Directions

Please read all instructions carefully before participating in the discussion.

  • Students must complete one Main Post that answers the discussion topic using more than 250 words.
  • Students must reply to at least two of their classmates (Peer Responses) using at least 150 words. Responses should encourage further dialogue in the discussion forum. Asking a classmate, a question is a nice way of furthering that dialogue.
  • Students must first compose an original Main Post to gain access to the discussion forum. Attempts to post a blank initial post or anything other than the true Main post will result in a 20-point deduction.
Important Reminder

Important: Submitting incomplete or placeholder responses may result in a grade deduction based on course policies.