The following excerpt is from an editorial by Council's executive director Bob Simmons published in the May edition of Mecklenburg Bar News in recognition of the 50th anniversary of the landmark Supreme Court decision, In re Gault. The full editorial is available at our web site. 

In addition to being part of our agency's name, the protection of children's rights to be safe, healthy, and well-educated is at the heart of our vision and mission.

So what rights do children really have? How do we stand up for them? Why should our community join us?

All people have two kinds of rights: human and legal. Human rights are not uniformly codified, and there many different opinions about what they are. From Franklin Roosevelt's "Four Freedoms" to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights adopted by the United Nations in 1948, history records efforts to describe a worldwide vision for human dignity and to establish a basis to protect people.

In the US and in North Carolina, we now also recognize that children have rights beyond the bare safety protection of abuse and neglect laws. But that has not always been so. This month we celebrate a landmark decision of the United States Supreme Court (SCOTUS) who, in the case know as In re Gault (1967), said "Neither the 14th Amendment, nor the Bill of Rights, is for adults alone."

More than one million times per year, children in America are charged with crimes in juvenile court. The overwhelming majority of children in delinquency courts are prosecuted for non-violent offenses like disturbing the peace, school fights, and petty theft-normal adolescent misconduct. Children need a skilled attorney to protect their rights and help them become successful adults in a country that incarcerates more children than any other in the world.

"Gault is at the heart of the mission of Council for Children's Rights, ensuring that children have a voice and that they play an integral role in the decisions that affect their lives and futures,"  said Bob Simmons. "Gault is a shield against the misperception that children lack the rights of adults and guarantees that they receive the same protections that are afforded to all citizens."

This Monday, May 15, 2017  marks the 50th anniversary of the landmark Supreme Court decision, In re Gault.    The anniversary offers the perfect occasion to reaffirm our commitment to the fundamental premise that no child should ever stand alone in America's courtrooms.  Children are our most vulnerable defendants - but also our community's most valuable assets.  Working together, we can fulfill the promise of Gault and ensure the rights of all children, not only to due process, but to a childhood that is safe, healthy and well-educated.  Visit Council's Gault at 50 page  and  Gault at 50 North Carolina  learn more. 

Monday, May 15 on 90.7fm WFAE / online at wfae.org
9:00 a.m. EST 

Host Mike Collins welcomes Council's Bob Simmons, Judge Elizabeth Trosch and public defender Mujtaba Mohammed to the WFAE studios for a discussion on the history and impact of the Gault decision on juvenile justice in general and on our local and regional  juvenile court systems.  

May 1-5 was Children's Mental Health Awareness Week.  Did you know that 50% of all lifetime cases of mental illness begin before age 14?  Children's mental health matters. We can end the stigma and save lives by learning more about the warning signs, supporting programs that assist children and families dealing with toxic stress, and talking to our kids.  The CMS School Psychologists have compiled this list of resources to get you started.  

Children's Mental Health Awareness - Resources

#Gault50NC  

12:00 p.m. - 1:00 p.m. 

Please join the conversation on Twitter on May 15th as the NC Office of the Juvenile Defender hosts its first Twitter Town Hall commemorating 50 years of Gault! Use #Gault50NC from noon to 1 p.m. to show your support, ask questions, and comment on what NC has done or could do better to fulfill the promise and how Gault relates to NC raising the age! Council staff will be participating as moderators - hope to "see" you there! 

Temple Beth El / Silverman Hall
6:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m. 

Addressing racism is not just about understanding people of color; it also requires an understanding of what it means to be white. The final presentation in the Community Presentation Series hosted by Race Matters for Juvenile Justice will be"What is White?" Speakers will be Bob Simmons, Executive Director of Council for Children's Rights; Nikkeia Wiler, Managing Director of The Possibility Project-Charlotte; and Rev. Jason Williams. Free and open to the public.   Read More