Governor Brown Enacts Major Youth Justice Legislation

Late in the 2018 legislative session, California Governor Jerry Brown, in his last term as Governor, signed a series of bills that will increase fairness and developmentally appropriate treatment for children and youth accused of violating criminal laws.

These bills made it to the Governor’s desk, in large part, because of the efforts of many …

Damian Spieckerman, PJDC Juvenile Defender of The Year (2018)

PJDC is proud to announce that Damian Spieckerman was recently awarded the 2018 PJDC Defender of the Year Award at the PJDC Annual Roundtable. As a Deputy Public Defender with the Solano County Public Defender’s Office, Damian has spent half of his 15-year career as a public defender advocating for youth in the juvenile delinquency …

Great Appellate Case Regarding Transfer Hearings

In J.N. v. Superior Court (2018) 23 Cal.App.5th 706 the California Court of Appeal reversed a finding of transfer to the adult court because it found that the trial court “improperly evaluated the criteria, and applied the wrong burden of proof.” This case is particularly meaningful because J.N. was 20 years old at the time …