The Transformative Justice Project of Pennsylvania, New Jersey & Delaware

Representation of Minors
The Adolescent Law Group (ALG) provides Juvenile Court legal services for the local indigent
community. These types of services range from delinquency to dependency matters and, due to
the nature of the proceedings, may include representation for family members of dependents as
well as for those of the accused young persons.
These services will apply to individuals who qualify for them using the “Advocates Minimum
Qualification System”, and/or a “Sliding-Fee Scale”, based on a variety of factors including
income, access to other legal alternatives, and the type of representation needed.
1. Delinquencies (Violations of Law): These are cases in which the child has
committed an offense which would be charged as a crime if s/he were an adult;
2. Deprivation (Abuse and/or Neglect): These are cases in which the child has
been mistreated by the parents, to the point where it becomes necessary for the
court to take over temporary legal custody for the protection of the child.
Depending on the circumstances, it may also be necessary for the state to take
physical custody, removing the child from the parents' home and placing the child
with relatives or in foster care;
3. Status Offenses: These are cases in which a child runs away from home, or is
frequently truant from school, or is otherwise beyond parental control.
E. Expungements, Pardons & Clemency
Once our young persons have completed the BRY-AMA process, and their statutorily defined
waiting period has elapsed, we pursue Expungements, Pardons & Clemency for each eligible
client.
Expungement is the process through which information about an arrest and the result will be
removed from a criminal history. Expunged arrests are not visible to employers, housing
providers, or licensing agencies that are reviewing the official criminal history. Expunged
information will still be visible, however, to law enforcement agencies, including prosecutors
and courts.
Today, pardons are granted in many jurisdictions when individuals have demonstrated that they
have fulfilled their debt to society, and/ or are otherwise considered to be deserving.
Pardons are sometimes offered to persons who are wrongfully convicted or claim they have been
wrongfully convicted. a Pardon DOES NOT set aside the original conviction, however, and in
some cases the offer is therefore refused.
The Transformative Justice Project of Pennsylvania, New Jersey & Delaware)
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