Juvenile Court ProceedingsCase Summary

In the article titled, “Fugitive Marine on U.S. Marshals ‘Most Wanted’ List Arrested for
Girlfriend’s 2016 Murder”, Schladebeck (2022) documents the arrest of Raymond “RJ” McLeod,
a former marine accused of killing his girlfriend, Krystal Mitchell, in an apartment in California
on June 10, 2016. Since the incident, the accused has been on the run for six years, prompting the
inclusion of his name on the U.S. Marshals’ most wanted list. The district attorney’s office of San
Diego charged the suspect with murder and issued an arrest warrant. In 2021, the U.S. Marshal
offered a $50,000 bounty for providing information that would lead to his arrest (Schladebeck,
2022). The accused is described as one who poses a substantial threat to the public. McLeod is
also said to have a history of domestic violence and has a higher likelihood of being armed and
dangerous. Despite avoiding arrest in Guatemala and Belize, Salvadoran authorities and
Marshals finally arrested him on Monday following a tip that he was a teacher in a school in
Sonsonate.
Court Procedure if the Defendant was Underage at the Time of Committing the Offense
Notably, the incident occurred in California, and the court procedure adopts the legal
stipulations for court processes for underage defendants. Assuming Raymond McLeod was
underage at the time of committing the offense, he will be tried in a juvenile court. This approach
follows last year’s California Supreme Court ruling that pronounced persons under 16 years
cannot be tried as adults in criminal courts (Equal Justice Initiative, 2021). The state law
emphasizes the need to rehabilitate juvenile offenders irrespective of the nature of their crime.
How Juvenile Proceedings Differ from Adult Criminal Proceedings and Differences in

Charges of the Same Crime

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Juvenile proceedings differ remarkably from adult criminal proceedings in charges of a
similar crime. First, juvenile delinquents are hardly detained upon arrest. Often, an arrested
juvenile is released into the custody of their parents/guardian (Elrod & Ryder, 2021). Most
detained youths have been charged with offenses against persons (Elrod & Ryder, 2021). On the
other hand, adult offenders are arrested and detained upon commission of a crime. Second, a
judge is mandated to the adjudication process of a juvenile. On the contrary, a jury tries and
determines adult court proceedings (McCoy & Burlingame, 2020). Third, the Supreme Court
ruling stipulates that a death penalty or life sentence cannot be levied on juveniles. On the other
hand, adult criminal proceedings can impose a death penalty or life sentence on an adult
offender.

Waiver Process of Transferring a Juvenile into the Adult Court System
The judicial waiver transfers juveniles to criminal court proceedings. Different states
have varying statutes for judicial waivers. In a judicial waiver, the juvenile court judge has
considerable discretion in transferring cases to the criminal court (Kratcoski et al., 2020). In such
cases, a waiver hearing must be held before transferring a juvenile case to an adult criminal
court. Major issues that a judge considers include the likely threat the juvenile presents to the
safety of the public as well as available options to rehabilitate the minor in the juvenile system. A
juvenile is entitled to counsel, and the process ought to follow due diligence and fair treatment
(Kratcoski et al., 2020). However, it is worth noting that a judicial waiver would not have been
possible in the case of Raymond McLeod since California’s statutes stipulate that a minor cannot
be tried in an adult criminal court.
Recommendations for Disposition Based on the Assumption That the Defendant is a Minor

Being Tried as a Juvenile

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In juvenile court proceedings, the court seeks to arrive at a dispositional decision that
serves the youngster’s best interest, family, and community. The individualized disposition
decision is anchored on reports of investigation from the probation department, a psychiatric
evaluation, and reports from social agencies (Siegel & Worrall, 2019). While the juvenile court
judge has broad discretion, the typical court dispositions include probation, deployment in a
community rehabilitation program, and dedication to a state organization that provides juvenile
institutional care (Siegel & Worrall, 2019). Based on these options, the most appropriate
disposition is to place Raymond McLeod in a state-managed residential juvenile correctional
facility. This disposition is relevant because it is not only in tandem with the seriousness of the
murder crime but also places restrictions and training that can aid in rehabilitating the juvenile
delinquent.

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References

Elrod, P., & Ryder, R. S. (2021). Juvenile justice: A social, historical, and legal perspective.
Jones & Bartlett Learning.
Equal Justice Initiative. (2021, February 25). Ban on prosecuting young teens as adults is upheld
by California Supreme Court. https://eji.org/news/ban-on-prosecuting-young-teens-as-
adults-is-upheld-by-california-supreme-court/
Kratcoski, P. C., Kratcoski, L. D., & Kratcoski, P. C. (2020). Juvenile delinquency: Theory,
research, and the juvenile justice process. Springer Nature.
McCoy, E. L., & Burlingame, J. (2020). Incarceration: Punishment or rehabilitation? Cavendish
Square Publishing, LLC.
Schladebeck, J. (2022, August 30). Fugitive marine on U.S. Marshals ‘Most Wanted’ list
arrested for girlfriend’s 2016 murder. The Chronicle.
https://chronline.com/stories/fugitive-marine-on-us-marshals-most-wanted-list-arrested-
for-girlfriends-2016-murder,299051?
Siegel, L. J., & Worrall, J. L. (2019). Essentials of criminal justice. Cengage Learning.