Endorsement: "the juvenile justice system rarely destroys families"

One lawyer's take on juvenile arraignments, from court-appointed contractor Penny at Penny Quilts:

The Cowboy Boot Experiment Update and Juvenile Delinquents

Some of the kids at that point inform you that they are NOT going to stay in detention. It is amazing how many children honestly have no idea that what they want and what they get are frequently two different things. "Well, you don't get to decide that, unfortunately, " I tell them...

Then there are the frequent flyers... Their demeanor is level, low key, they know the drill. You can feel their disdain for you as a mere "public defender" if they think you are too glib - their disdain for you as a sucker if they think you are too nice or care too much...

Bonus feature: this blog contains lots of Samoyeds