Juvenile Law Center Urges Rules Committee to Adopt Rule Prohibiting Waiver of Counsel
On April 26, 2011, Juvenile Law Center submitted comments to the Pennsylvania Supreme Court's Juvenile Court Procedural Rules Committee, urging it to adopt a rule that would prohibit juveniles from waiving their right to counsel.
Over half of the juveniles enmeshed in the Luzerne County "kids-for-cash" scandal "waived" their right to a lawyer. Juvenile Law Center asserts that a "no waiver" rule will promote fairness, reduce harm to juveniles and be the most cost-effective approach to providing youth with constitutional protections.