Matthew J. Ruff Juvenile Law Blog on Lawyers.com

• The right to be represented by a Juvenile Criminal Defense Lawyer. 
• The right to present witnesses on the juvenile's behalf. 
• The right to subpoena, confront, and cross-examine witnesses. 
• The right to a public hearing. 
• The right to present evidence. 
• The right to appeal.

If the juvenile could face prison time if adjudicated delinquent of the offense charged, he or she may be entitled to the appointment of an attorney if he is indigent. Juvenile court proceedings are usually sealed. The records are confidential and are not accessible to the general public. Some states do not automatically seal juvenile records. In that instance, the juvenile may have to request for his records to be sealed.

The juvenile does not have a right to a jury trial. Due to recent changes in California criminal law, many criminal violations may continue to stay on a person's record beyond the time they turn 18, therefore a lawyer should be consulted to discuss defenses and legal strategies.

While the California adult correctional system was established with the goal of punishment, the juvenile justice system has a different goal: treatment and rehabilitation of juvenile offenders. Because of this, the state's juvenile justice system has a broad array of methods and programs for addressing juvenile crime, taking into account the severity of the offense and the background of the offender. These include fines, treatment programs, detention, incarceration, and community supervision. Generally, the system provides for escalating responses to offenses of increasing severity, such as informal probation, formal probation, detention, and incarceration. Additionally, because the system has a goal of rehabilitation, many more agencies have a role to play in California's Juvenile Justice System than in the adult system, including schools, social service agencies, and community-based organizations.

The Juvenile Justice Court gives police, probation officials, and the District Attorney broad discretion over the treatment of juvenile offenders. Upon arrest, the police can release the juvenile to his or her parents or take the alleged offender to juvenile hall.