Can a Juvenile Court Try Two Unrelated Crimes in the Same Trial

A minor in Louisiana is charged with two completely different crimes, alleged to have occurred on two different occasions. The juvenile court judge has indicated that he is going to hold a single trial for both charges. Is that legal?

Whenever I hear a question about Louisiana law, my first thought is to say "consult a local lawyer" because, due to its French heritage, a lot of Louisiana law reflects the state's civil law heritage as opposed to the common law traditions that influenced the rest of the nation.

That said, juvenile court is not adult court. At least in theory, the purpose of the trial is not to seek a criminal conviction, but to see if the minor should be adjudicated delinquent and, if so, how to set him on a corrective path. When there is no right to a jury, and a judge is making the determination, the judge may see a combined trial as being a much better use of juvenile and law enforcement resources. The juvenile can discuss with his lawyer whether it makes sense to try to sever the proceedings into two separate trials, and the details of Louisiana law relating to such a motion, but I would not be at all surprised if the court's action is both proper and would be upheld by the state's appellate courts.