It wasn't until 1899 that the first juvenile court was established in the state of Illinois. The main difference between juvenile courts and adult courts was that juvenile courts were civil in nature while adult courts were criminal. The advantage of a civil court was that the courts could focus on the young people, rather than the so-called crime, and have a range of options for the rehabilitation of the young person. The legal doctrine of "parens patriae" formed the foundation of juvenile courts and ensured that the state was given the authority to make decisions for the benefit of the child as a parent would. Parens patriae is Latin for "parent of one's country". This means that the state has the power to act as a guardian for those who are unable to care for themselves, such as children or disabled people. For example, under this doctrine a judge can modify custody, child support, or other decisions that affect a child's well-being, regardless of what the parents may have agreed upon (Nolo's Plain-English Law Dictionary). The doctrine of "parens patriae" continues today in the juvenile justice system and in schools. Does this mean that minors had rights? Juveniles, in the 1960s, who were in the juvenile court system, however, had no constitutional rights, this changed in 1967 with the U.S. Supreme Court decision in In re