Kent v. United States

383 U.S. 541 (1966)

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Kent v. United States

United States Supreme Court
383 U.S. 541 (1966)

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Facts

An intruder entered the apartment of a woman in the District of Columbia and raped her. The police later found fingerprints and matched them to 16-year-old Morris Kent (defendant), who was already on probation for housebreaking. After police took Kent into custody and interrogated him for seven hours, Kent confessed his involvement, and the police placed Kent in detention. Kent's attorney filed a motion with the juvenile court for a hearing on the question of waiver of jurisdiction and offered to prove that Kent would be a suitable subject for rehabilitation. The juvenile court did not rule on the motion. Instead, the juvenile court waived jurisdiction over Kent without a hearing and without stating any reasons for the waiver. The juvenile court then directed that Kent be tried in the United States District Court for the District of Columbia. After being convicted in district court, Kent appealed, contesting the validity of the juvenile court's waiver. The court of appeals affirmed, and the United States Supreme Court granted certiorari.

Rule of Law

Issue

Holding and Reasoning (Fortas, J.)

Dissent (Stewart, J.)

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