Injustice in the Lowest Courts: How Municipal Courts Rob America’s Youth

February 2021
By Nolan Anderson, Randy Kreider, and Kristen Schnell

This study examines the constitutions and laws of each of the fifty states plus the District of Columbia to better understand municipal courts and specifically how they affect youth. The report highlights that shifting our approach to municipal courts need not happen only at the local level; state legislative changes hold great promise for reform.

Key findings include:

• The legal framework creates significant opportunities for state, as well as local, advocacy for reform. State legislative advocacy will be particularly important in states that mandate municipal courts. Advocacy can also be directed at local executives in states that provide municipalities more discretion. 
• Municipal courts expose youth to significant harm without providing them with adequate procedural protections. 
• While further research is needed, programs that divert youth from municipal court and provide developmentally appropriate responses to youth could provide effective alternatives.