Developmental Disabilities in California Juvenile Justice Proceedings

This is a short primer on legal issues that may come up in California juvenile delinquency cases1 involving a young person with developmental disabilities. Some are so fundamental that the case may not go forward unless threshold findings are made. Others affect the evidence that may come in during the proceedings; the path the case will take in court proceedings; or important dispositional considerations for the court. This was presented at Beyond the Bench, 2006.