Juvenile Competence & Adjudication

A substantial proportion of juveniles, especially those age 15 and younger, have impairments in adjudicative competence -- the capacities to understand legal proceedings, reason about legal decisions, and assist counsel -- at rates comparable to adults found incompetent to stand trial; developmental immaturity itself, apart from mental illness, can diminish trial competence.

A child's age objectively affects how they experience police questioning: minors are more susceptible than adults to perceived pressure and authority, are more suggestible, and are at greater risk of falsely confessing, so age is materially relevant to whether a reasonable person would feel free to leave or to remain silent.