Waiver of Defense Counsel

Chapter 7 presents the variations in state policies related to the waiver of defense counsel in delinquency court. It explains the importance of defense counsel waiver policies and discusses the literature on waiver before introducing the variation in defense counsel waiver polices in the United States. It highlights policy language that protects youth from unknowingly waiving counsel and offers examples of situations in which youth would inadvertently give up their right to counsel through waiver. After presenting the many varied ways in which state policies oversee waiver of counsel, the chapter shares the quantitative overview of these policies.