How many jurisdictions have statutes and/or court rules that specifically permit the victim of a delinquent act to obtain the name and address of the juvenile offender?

As of August 2004, the following 34 states have statutes and/or court rules that specifically permit the victim of a delinquent act to obtain the name and address of the juvenile offender: Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin, and Wyoming.

Szymanski, L. Victim Has Right to Name and Address of Juvenile Offender. NCJJ Snapshot 9(8). Pittsburgh, PA: National Center for Juvenile Justice, 2004.

How many states permit or require the public release of the name and other information concerning juvenile offenders under some circumstances?

As of the end of the 2003 legislative session, all jurisdictions except Alabama and Vermont permit or require the public release of the name and other information concerning juvenile offenders under some circumstances, particularly if the juvenile is a serious violent offender. The public release of juvenile names can happen in a variety of ways: juvenile hearings can be open to the general public, which includes the media (sometimes they are age/offense restrictions on the openness of juvenile hearings); delinquency records can be made available to the public with specified age/offense requirements; or delinquency records of juveniles transferred to criminal court can be made public.

Szymanski, L. Releasing Names of Juvenile Offenders to the Media/Public (2004 Update). NCJJ Snapshot 9(4). Pittsburgh, PA: National Center for Juvenile Justice, 2004.

Which states generally close delinquency hearings?

Fifteen states have statutes and/or court rules that generally close delinquency hearings to the public: Alabama, Connecticut, the District of Columbia, Illinois, Kentucky, Mississippi, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Vermont, West Virginia, and Wyoming?

Szymanski, L. Confidentiality of Juvenile Delinquency Hearings (2005 Update). NCJJ Snapshot 11(2). Pittsburgh, PA: National Center for Juvenile Justice, 2005.

How many states open juvenile delinquency hearings but place certain restrictions on openness?

Twenty-one states open delinquency hearings to the public but place certain age/offense requirements on the openness of the hearing: Alaska, California, Delaware, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Indiana, Kansas, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Missouri, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Utah, Virginia, and Wisconsin.

Szymanski, L. Confidentiality of Juvenile Delinquency Hearings (2004 Update). NCJJ Snapshot 9(2). Pittsburgh, PA: National Center for Juvenile Justice, 2004.

Which states generally open delinquency hearings?

As of the end of the 2005 legislative session, 14 states had statutes and/or court rules that permit or require juvenile delinquency hearings to be open to the general public: Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Florida, Iowa, Michigan, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, North Carolina, Oregon, Texas, and Washington. However, Texas law permits the closing of a hearing if a juvenile is under the age of 14 at the time of the hearing. Of the 14 states that have presumptively open delinquency hearings, the following 7 states also have state constitutional “open court” provisions, that prevent any court from being secret: Colorado, Florida, Montana, Nebraska, North Carolina, Oregon, and Texas.

Szymanski, L. Confidentiality of Juvenile Delinquency Hearings (2005 Update). NCJJ Snapshot 11(2). Pittsburgh, PA: National Center for Juvenile Justice, 2005.

How many states require some form of notice to the school if a child within that school is involved with law enforcement or juvenile court for committing a delinquent act?

As of the end of the 2003 legislative session, 45 states require some form of notice to the school if a child within that school is involved with law enforcement or juvenile court for committing a delinquent act. The following 6 states do not require such notice: District of Columbia, Hawaii, Massachusetts, Nebraska, New Hampshire, and New Mexico.

Szymanski, L. Law Enforcement, Court Notice to School of Student's Delinquent Act (2004 Update). NCJJ Snapshot 9(3). Pittsburgh, PA: National Center for Juvenile Justice, 2004.