Pennsylvania Juvenile Defenders

Website made possible with the generous support of the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency and the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation.

Publications and Resources

Pennsylvania Juvenile Collateral Consequences Checklist

Performance Guidelines for Quality and Effective Juvenile Delinquency Representation

Rules of Juvenile Court Procedure: Delinquency Matters

The Juvenile Act 2008

Northeast Regional Defender Center

In order to increase the capacity of the grassroots juvenile defense bar across the country, the National Center incorporated into its design the development of nine Regional Defender Centers. The Northeast Region includes the following four states: Delaware, New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania.

State and Local Defender Sites

Recent Cases

Graham v. Florida. The Court does not permit a juvenile offender to be sentenced to life in prison without parole for a non-homicide crime.

Padilla v. Kentucky. The lawyer for an alien charged with crime has a constitutional obligation to tell the client that a guilty plea carries a risk that he will be deported. (The Court, however, did not decide whether the individual in this specific case has been prejudiced by the lawyer’s failure to give that advice.)

More recent cases.

Juvenile Justice Supreme Court Review 2003-2004 Term

Important Issues

Defending Girls

Education

Defending LGBTQ (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Questioning) Youth

“LGBTQ youth may be the most disenfranchised, isolated and complex juvenile clients …. The defense attorney may be their sole advocate, visitor, ‘friendly ear,’ and even, lifeline.” – Marynella Woods, LCSW, Office of the Public Defender, San Francisco

JDAP

The Juvenile Defenders Association of Pennsylvania, Inc. (JDAP) was formed in 2006 for the following purposes and with this mission statement:

To promote quality and ethically mandated representation for all juveniles charged with acts of delinquency in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.

To provide a forum and opportunity to be heard and to organize those persons responsible for the defense of children charged with delinquent acts.

To coordinate all delinquency defense providers in the Commonwealth and to promote legislative, administrative and judicial change in the Commonwealth to enhance the ethical representation of children charged with delinquent conduct.

To provide for the resource and training needs of our membership whenever possible to enhance the quality of representation.

Board Members of the Juvenile Defenders Association of Pennsylvania:

Elton Anglada, Esq.
Philadelphia County
Michelle L. Bailey-Baird, Esq.
Crawford County
Lisa Douple, Esq.
Bucks County
Gabrielle Hall, Esq.
Monroe County
Barbara Lee Krier, Esq.
York County
Robert Listenbee, Esq.
Philadelphia County
Robert L. Marks Jr, Esq.
Montour County
Nancy Prescott, Esq.
Dauphin County
Georgene Siroky, Esq.
Allegheny County
Ron Turo, Esq.
Cumberland County
Mark Waitlevertch, Esq.
Allegheny County
Thomas A. Walrath, Esq.
Potter County
Selyne K. Youngclaus, Esq.
Wyoming County

Hot Topics in Juvenile Defense

The Interbranch Commission on Juvenile Justice releases its Recommendations on May 27, 2010

The Interbranch Commission on Juvenile Justice was created in 2009 by an act of the General Assembly with the support of the Governor and the Supreme Court. Its purpose is to investigate circumstances that led to corruption in the juvenile court of Luzerne County resulting in federal criminal charges against two judges; to restore public confidence in the administration of justice, and to prevent similar events from occurring there or elsewhere in the Commonwealth.

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Attorney General Eric Holder keynotes DOJ National Symposium on Indigent Defense

The Department of Justice held its National Symposium on Indigent Defense: Looking Back, Looking Forward, 2000-2010, in Washington, D.C. on February 18-19, 2010 — the first such federal Symposium in 10 years. Attorney General Eric Holder gave the keynote address, identifying three areas of focus for the Department of Justice: commitment to an ongoing dialogue; raising awareness; and expanding the role of the public defender. He said: “In the coming weeks, we will take concrete steps to make access to justice a permanent part of the work of the Department of Justice, with a focused effort by our leadership offices to ensure the issue gets the attention it deserves. Government must be a part of the solution — not simply by acting as a convener but also by serving as a collaborator.”

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Senator Baker Speaks at National Symposium on Indigent Defense, Discusses How Pennsylvania is Working to Reform the Juvenile Justice System

Senator Lisa Baker recently detailed Pennsylvania’s efforts to reform the juvenile justice system for a national gathering in Washington, D.C.

The U. S. Department of Justice’s National Symposium on Indigent Defense brought together state and federal public defenders and prosecutors, judges, policymakers, and other criminal justice practitioners to develop ways to enhance indigent defense services.

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PA Juvenile Defender Resources

Contact Pennsylvania Juvenile Defenders

Delinquency Dispositions 2008 View and print a contact sheet of Pennsylvania Juvenile Defenders. Contact us to make corrections to the list.