Juvenile defendants are protected under the Due Process Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment. Decided May 15, 1967 (argued December 6, 1966). Opinion of the Court: Abe Fortas → go there Dissenting: Stewart. Applied: the Sixth Amendment → go there Applied: the Fourteenth Amendment → go there Topic: Right to counsel. In re Gault, 387 U.S. 1 (1967), is a landmark U.S. Supreme Court decision which held the Due Process Clause of the 14th Amendment applies to juvenile defendants as well as to adult defendants. Juveniles accused of crimes in a delinquency proceeding must be afforded many of the same due process rights as adults, such as the right to timely notification of the charges, the right to confront witnesses, the right against self-incrimination, and the right to counsel. The court's opinion was written by Justice Abe Fortas, a noted proponent of children's rights. Wiki link