The Warren Court (1953–69)

Criminal Procedure and Constitutional Rights

What did the Warren Court rule with respect to the constitutional rights of juvenile suspects?

The Warren Court extended many constitutional protections to juvenile defendants in its 1967 decision In Re Gault. The Court ruled that juvenile defendants possess procedural due-process rights (such as notice of hearings), the right to be informed of the privilege against self-incrimination, the right to counsel, and the right to cross-examine witnesses. “Whatever may be their precise impact, neither the Fourteenth Amendment nor the Bill of Rights is for adults alone,” the Court wrote.