§ 77.01 INTRODUCTION
[1] Scope
This chapter focuses on the legal system for handling juveniles charged with criminal offenses, as set forth in Chapter 13.40 RCW, and sealing or destruction of juvenile records under Chapter 13.50 RCW. Chapters discussing related issues in this deskbook include the following: Chapter 49 (Dependency and ARY/CHINS Proceedings in Juvenile Court), Chapter 46 (Custody Proceedings: Jurisdiction and Full Faith and Credit), Chapter 47 (Parenting Plans), and Chapter 48 (Child abuse and Neglect).
[2] Historical Overview
To understand what Washington's juvenile justice system is today, it is important to understand what it used to be. Prior to 1913, juvenile offenders were prosecuted as adults. The 1913 Basic Juvenile Court Act, Chapter 13.04 RCW, was among the first juvenile codes in the nation and was intended to overcome the harshness that resulted from dealing with juveniles in the same manner as adults. In part an outgrowth of the social progressive movement of the time, the 1913 Act was rooted in the twin concepts of in loco parentis and "the best interests of the child." The state was ultimately responsible for determining...
