Ohio juvenile courts struggle with youth competency issue

CLEVELAND - The state's juvenile courts are struggling to determine how to handle defendants with low IQs who don't understand the charges against them.

[Joyce Anderson]

I have a few suggestion's that are "Out of the Box" type suggestions.

The Supreme Court and all Juvenile Courts have funding available to them directly and/or access to it through grants. The Courts could begin a pilot project of educating children in schools, much like DARE but about the Juvenile Court System.

One, you'll be teaching the children the personal costs of being involved in criminal activity and

Two, you'll be able to 'graduate' each student that has passed an exam, and in the event a juvenile who has graduated from the 'court program' has been charged the Court will be able to confirm whether a juvenile graduated from the program and is or isn't literate and/or able to understand the charges.

I also would suggest that the Court Administrator's coordinate volunteer lawyers, paralegals, social workers, mental health assistants, probation officers, law enforcement officers, teachers, parents and so on to assist in interpreting the charges and/or stages of a case to a juvenile. I know that it's hard to get volunteers together for such a task, but at least try.

In addition to the first suggestion as related to funding a project. The Juvenile Court can establish a specific "on site" Class which is structured w/Court employee's that requires a juvenile's attendance and graduation of it prior to going forward w/Court proceedings.

It's a start....

Note: In Summit County Juvenile Court, aren't they're supposed to be able to utilize CASA volunteers for this need?

Juvenile Judge Teodosio and Bev from CASA both know how to get ahold of me if either need my assistance in locating grant funding for such...

[OU Bob Cat]

If someone is in that bad of shape then they should be put into a mental facility.

[Rusty Shackeford]

HELP US RAISE AWARENESS ABOUT THE INEQUALITIES THAT EXIST; WITH JUDGE LINDA TEODOSIO AND HER ADMINISTRATION AT THE SUMMIT COUNTY JUVENILE COURT

Impeach Judge Linda Teodosio AND HER ADMINISTRATION

www.impeachjudgeteodosio.com

INEQUALITIES INCLUDE BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO THE FOLLOWING:

* Racial Discrimination and Intimidation
* Sexual Harassment and Intimidation
* Retaliation
* Unfair Sentencing Practices
* Unfair Employment Practices