The study's dependent variables related to decisions pertinent to detention and the decision to refer the accused juvenile to court with or without petition, adjudication, and sentencing. The major extralegal independent variable is race (white or black). The extralegal variables of sex and age were included as controls, since prior research has shown these to be related to juvenile justice decisionmaking. The legal variables of seriousness of the instant offense and prior delinquency were controlled in this study. Data analysis indicated that race did affect decisionmaking when other decisionmaking factors were controlled. Blacks were treated more harshly in detention decisions, formal prosecution by petition, and in sentencing. Only in adjudication were whites more likely than blacks to be convicted. The latter inconsistency may be due to the fact that blacks are more likely to be charged and processed based on weaker evidence. These findings suggest that juvenile justice decisionmakers should be trained to guard against letting extralegal factors affect their decisions. 6 tables, 15 notes, and a 49-item bibliography