Reference Reviews

Doug’s Student Reference Room

Juvenile Justice, edited by Jean Leverich. 247 pp. Farmington Hills, MI: Greenhaven Press. ISBN: 978-0-7377-4178-0. $37.40.

On the U.S. Supreme Court docket in 2009 is the case of an Arizona girl who was strip-searched by school officials based on a suspicion that she possessed drugs. Specifically, she was thought to be holding ibuprofen. While this instance appears extreme, those who work in schools regularly grapple with balancing the competing demands of students’ rights, the best interests of a child, and the safety and security of the school community. This new volume in Greenhaven Press Issues on Trial series explores juvenile justice through four Supreme Court decisions—Ex parte Couse, In re Gault, New Jersey v. T.L.O. and Roper v. Simmons-- that attempt to define boundaries around this complicated topic. Each chapter provides a case overview, followed by essays written predominantly by lawyers and judges articulating the implications of these rulings. Among the most interesting observations made by contributors were regarding the impact of Columbine on schools’ student search policies and the legal rulings that resulted. Also of note are the competing opinions about the merits of trial juveniles in adult criminal courts. The chapters are followed by a list of relevant organizations, a print and Web bibliography and a general index. Although the language is complex and sometimes lawyerly, this is a high quality resource providing a thorough introduction to a topic of great interest to teens. Highly recommended for upper-level high school, community college and public libraries.
—Doug Achterman