The evolution of the juvenile justice systemThe juvenile justice system is designed to deal with judicial cases involving people under the age of eighteen. Started in the early 19th century, the system is more than a hundred years old. When the system was started, it was insisted that the law should draw a line between minors and adults. It was assumed that adults could determine the wrongfulness of their actions; hence, the establishment of the juvenile justice system. According to the law, newborns were described as children under the age of seven and could not know whether their acts were wrong. Such children cannot be found guilty of a crime under the law (Drowns et al, 2000). Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay Children under the age of fourteen were presumed to know the wrongfulness of their acts; therefore, they were treated like adults. There were exceptions in the law as children who didn't seem to understand what they were doing were still treated like babies. Later, in the nineteenth century, another milestone was set in the history of the juvenile justice system when the way minors were treated began to change. Those pushing for reforms in the justice system believed that special facilities were needed to deal with minors who found themselves on the wrong side of the law (Empey et al, 1982). Around 1899, a major milestone was reached in the juvenile system: Cook County, Illinois opened the first juvenile court. Before the opening of juvenile court, Chicago and New York were known as the first two cities in the United States to separate juvenile and adult delinquents. The juvenile court had a theory that involved rehabilitating juvenile offenders rather than punishing them. The State acted as a parent of the minor with physical and mental disabilities. Under the judicial system, the best interests of the child were pursued to determine how the child could become a productive member of society. The doctrine of "parens patrie", therefore, paved the way for the rehabilitation program in the history of the juvenile justice system (Tamilia, 2009). As the juvenile court system has evolved, the structure has remained largely the same as several decades ago. What has continued to evolve is how children's rights are interpreted even as they make their way through the justice system. An example of this evolution occurred in 1963, when the United States Supreme Court ruled that every citizen, including minors, had the right to an attorney in criminal proceedings. Because of the case, the structure of juvenile court has changed, making room for a juvenile lawyer, who is tasked with answering questions a minor may have. The lawyer also represents the rights of minors in a courtroom (Tamilia, 2009). Another significant example in the evolution of the juvenile justice system is cited in 1966, when the United States Supreme Court ruled that a minor has the right to a court session when his lawyer can access all his records and in which the court offers a written report, citing all reasons for commitment to the adult system. Initially, juveniles faced bond depending on the severity of their case. In 1967, the United States Supreme Court established the constitutional rights of minors. The Supreme Court ruled that juveniles had the same due process rights as adults in cases they could.