As counsel for Florida Center for Children and Youth, SLC petitioned for a rule change of first impression to the Juvenile Rules of Procedure concerning the placement of delinquents charged as minors in adult jails when juvenile detention facilities were overcrowded or were otherwise believed to be inadequate. The petition was granted by Juvenile Court Rules Committee of The Florida Bar and its Board of Governors, but the Florida Supreme Court denied the proposed rule amendment. The Florida Legislature then amended the statute to restrict minors not charged as adults from commingling with adult jail inmates.

As counsel for amicus Florida Center for Children and Youth, SLC briefed and argued a first impression issue concerning the lock-up and commingling of runaways, truants and ungovernable youth (status offenders) with delinquents charged with or adjudicated on criminal law violations. The Florida Supreme Court declined to reform the system of mixing law violators with status offenders. The Florida Legislature followed by amending the law to prohibit this practice and established new comprehensive programs for these non-criminal youth. Co-counsel: National Juvenile Law Center.

Bobby M. v. Martinez, Case No. TCA 83-7003 (N.D. Fla., J. Paul), 907 F. Supp. 368 (N.D. Fla. 1995); Jodi Siegel, Reforming Florida's Juvenile Justice System: a Case Example of Bobby M. v. Chiles, 19 Fla. State Univ. L. Rev. 693 (Winter 1992). This statewide class action suit was brought on behalf of approximately 1,000 youth confined to Florida's juvenile training schools, which then were the only facilities for youth in the delinquency system. The suit challenged the conditions and practices of those schools, and alleged unconstitutional conditions of confinement and inappropriate placements.