Art. 808 Constitutional rights of accused delinquents

If a child is accused of committing a crime and the case goes to juvenile court, that child still has almost all the same constitutional rights an adult would have in a regular criminal case. This includes things like the right to a lawyer, the right to remain silent, the right to confront witnesses, and protection against unreasonable searches. These protections come from both the U.S. Constitution and the Louisiana Constitution.

There is one major exception: the right to a jury trial does not apply. Juvenile cases are decided by a judge alone, not a jury. So while kids get most of the same legal protections adults do when accused of a crime, their case will always be heard and decided by a judge instead of a group of jurors.