Juvenile law pertains to those who are deemed to be below the age of majority, which varies by country and culture.
In both France and the United States, some actions are prohibited for minors, such as the underage consumption of alcohol or tobacco, truancy, running away from home, and ungovernability.
The federal Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Act of 1974 set up four key requirements[2] for US minors: All states participate except South Dakota and Wyoming.
Those between 13 and 18 are assumed to be irresponsible, but they can be involved in a criminal sentence if the circumstances and the juvenile's delinquent personality justify it.
[4] According to Jean Pierre Rosenczveig, a children's judge in Bobigny, near Paris, the juvenile criminal law in France has six key requirements:[5] In the US, the presence of an attorney is only recommended, not compulsory.
After their arrest, in both countries, minors may be placed in provisory detention (until a European Convention on Human Rights case banned it in France) if the parents are prejudiced and informed.
As can be noted, UD and French procedures are not that different as they have a common goal: to protect, as much as possible, the interest of the minor offender.
The US prefers the confidentiality of minors, but France stresses accommodating the juvenile within the criminal system.
As noted, the goal of juvenile justice in France and the US is clearly to educate child offenders, rather than punish them, even if some measures can be severe.