Gault, Gerald (Gerry) (1949–)

Lisa Hutchinson Wallace

Gerald Gault was arrested when he was 15 years old on charges of making obscene phone calls to a neighbor. His trial and subsequent appeal led to fundamental changes in the juvenile justice system. Specifically, it ushered in due process rights for juveniles involved in delinquency proceedings. As a direct result of this case, young people are now entitled to legal counsel, to confront and crossexamine witnesses, to confront their accuser, to refuse to incriminate themselves, and to be given timely notice of charges. While many of these due process rights are closely akin to those afforded to adults, they are not identical. On June 8, 1964, Gerry Gault and a friend were arrested by the sheriff for making obscene phone calls. At the time of his arrest, Gault was already on probation for involvement in the theft of a wallet. As was common practice at the time, the sheriff ...

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