Juvenile Justice Information Exchange (https://jjie.org/tag/gault/)
In 1967, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that children in juvenile court must receive due process protections, including the right to counsel. The case, In re Gault, which originated in Gila County, Ariz., created the foundation of juvenile defense as we know it today. No longer would children face the awesome power of the state and the prospect of losing their liberty without benefitting from “the guiding hand of counsel.”
You could call it the obscene phone call heard ‘round the world.
The May 1967 Supreme Court ruling that threw out Gerald Gault’s six-year commitment for lewd remarks over the telephone has led to half a century of juvenile justice reform.
Fifty years after the Supreme Court ruling that recognized children’s right to due process and legal representation, the National Juvenile Defense Council has issued a report that takes a granular look at the juvenile justice system across the states.