More we do…
Strive for justice for those who typically view the world as a place that devalues them instead of a place that embraces their potential as productive members of the greater community.
Intervene on behalf of those without a voice in the trajectory of their futures and their liberty.
See that not only are young people collectively our future, but that each young person’s future is worth fighting for.
Mission Statement
YDC is dedicated to providing quality, comprehensive legal representation for young people ensnared in the criminal, juvenile and family justice systems. By deploying innovative advocacy, our aim is to do so in a manner that will enable our clients to maintain their dignity, and whenever possible, their liberty.
YDC is mindful of and can relate to the cultural and economic backgrounds of our clientele. We will utilize that understanding to provide the highest quality communication in the delivery of our services to our clients. Our referrals of services will be with individuals and organizations like-minded with our mission.
“The way to right wrongs is to turn the light of truth upon them.”
-Ida B. Wells
Innovative Advocacy
The justice systems that were designed to address the needs of children were designed at a time and an environment significantly different from the world we know today. Outdated notions of crime and punishment frequently handcuffed those empowered to address alleged acts of delinquency and criminality by young people. Likewise, those same notions hampered intervention to protect children who were either neglected or abused.
Old solutions to new problems yielded haphazard results. For a system designed to protect people who are “not guilty,” punishing any innocent person is unacceptable. Treatment is focused on evidence based practices, however, absent prudence and equity one the front end, it is a fruitless exercise.
What is necessary is viewing the “justice system” with a fresh perspective, refusing to be encumbered by failed methods and harsh guidelines. As recently as 2017, those who administer criminal justice began to recognize that drug addiction is a disease and not criminal activity. By necessity, at least some drug offenses require handling divergent from the manner done in the past.
Recognizing that entrenched ways of handling antisocial behavior fail to adequately address the root problems, methodologies require modification. Attitudes have to change. The delivery of representation must adapt. The accused needs innovative advocacy.
“We refuse to believe that there are insufficient funds in the great vaults of opportunity of this nation. So we have come to cash this check.”
-Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
We at YDC…
- Respect the principles embraced in the Bill of Rights.
- Encourage accountability in not only our clients but in those who demand it of them.
- Strive for justice for those who typically view the world as a place that devalues them instead of a place that embraces their potential as productive members
of the greater community. - Intervene on behalf of those without a voice in the trajectory of their futures and their liberty.
- See that not only are young people collectively our future, but that each young person’s future is worth fighting for.
- Treat every client as a unique and valued individual.
Latest Blog
Recognizing that the Culpable State of Mind is on a Continuum and not Static
In my first year of law school I studied Criminal Law. A topic that we spent a great deal of time was mens rea. That…
Read MoreMichael Bennett’s encounter with Las Vegas Police reminds me of “The Talk”
Nearly every African American youngster at some point or another had “the talk” with either a parent or other parent figure. Mine wasn’t as intense…
Read MoreSpeedy Trial and Confronting Witnesses
“To Kill a Mockingbird” starring Gregory Peck as Defense Counsel Cross examining the Prosecution’s witness. Speedy trial and confronting witnesses The Sixth Amendment and You…
Read MoreYouth Defense Center, Inc.
“The world is a dangerous place to live; not because of the people who are evil, but because of the people who don’t do anything about it. . . We can’t solve problems by using the same kind of thinking we used when we created
them. . . To raise new questions, new possibilities, to regard old problems from a new angle, requires creative imagination and marks real advance. . . “
– Albert Einstein
