What happens in a juvenile court trial

In fact, most delinquent adolescents — even those who were involved in serious offenses — do not not continue to be involved in such activity as adults. The juvenile justice system recognizes this capacity for change and emphasizes treatment, education and rehabilitation that is individually tailored for each youth, providing a pathway for youth to mature into healthy adults who contribute positively to their communities.

The importance of considering adolescent development in the context of the criminal justice system has also been recognized and repeatedly applied in United States Supreme Court decisions involving youth whose cases are handled in the adult system. In the most recent decision, Miller v. Alabama , U. California laws and court decisions mirror the Supreme Court decisions on these youthful offenders. Youth is youth for a good reason. I am living proof of the capacity for change.

Juvenile court handles cases filed for anything from the smallest violations to the most serious crimes, including murder. Youth may be held under juvenile court jurisdiction and confined in a locked facility until age 21, 23 or 25, depending on the charges and disposition in the case. However, contrary to popular belief, the youth in juvenile delinquency courts have not all committed a criminal offense, but rather, may be youth who are habitually truant or who are beyond parental control.

In California, most juvenile court cases begin when a youth has contact with law enforcement official who suspects the youth has committed a crime. During this first contact, the law enforcement officer may decide that the youth should be:. At those tender ages, the mind is still pliable and can be shaped. Charles S. Dutton, Emmy Award winning actor and director; formerly incarcerated as a youth. In California, juvenile halls are county-operated locked facilities. Depending on the day of the week of their arrest, a youth may be incarcerated for 3 to 5 days before being taken to juvenile court to file a formal petition after which the probation officer may:.

To learn about juvenile courts and delinquency in general, see Nolo's article Juvenile Courts: An Overview. There are a number of ways that a minor might come into contact with law enforcement over the alleged violation of a criminal statute. Some minors are arrested by police, while others are referred to the police by parents or school officials. Regardless of how the police get wind of a potential juvenile case, a police officer may decide to deal with the juvenile in several ways.

Issue a warning. The police officer can detain the minor, issue a warning, and then let the minor go. This is often referred to as the "counseled and released" alternative. Hold the minor until a parent comes. Sometimes the police officer will detain the minor, issue a warning, and then release the minor to the custody of a parent or guardian. Refer to juvenile court. The police officer may also place the juvenile in custody and refer the case to juvenile court. Once the police officer refers a case to juvenile court, a prosecutor or juvenile court intake officer often a probation officer takes over.

That person may decide to dismiss the case, handle the matter informally, or file formal charges called "petitioning the case". The remaining cases go through formal proceedings.

If the prosecutor or probation officer decides to proceed with the juvenile's case informally, usually the minor must appear before a probation officer or judge.

Although no formal charge is entered against the juvenile, he or she will usually be required to do one or more of the following:. If the juvenile's abuse or neglect is suspected as part of the case, the juvenile court judge may initiate proceedings to remove the minor from parental or guardian custody.

If the prosecutor or probation officer decides to proceed formally, he or she will file a petition in juvenile court. The minor is then "arraigned" formally charged in front of a juvenile court judge or referee.

In some cases, the court may decide to send the juvenile to adult criminal court. The court will also determine whether the minor should be detained or released for the time period before the initial hearing. The minor enters into a plea agreement. Often, a plea agreement hinges on the juvenile's compliance with certain conditions.

For example, as part of a plea deal, a juvenile may need to attend counseling, obey curfews, or reimburse the victim for damages. The judge "diverts" the case. When a judge diverts a case, the judge retains jurisdiction over the case while the juvenile undergoes a recommended program such as counseling or performs some act such as community service or payment of restitution.

If the juvenile doesn't fulfill these obligations, the court may reinstate formal charges. The judge holds an adjudicatory hearing. Except one hole in my case. The police interviewed me days later, asked why I didn't extinguish the flaming chopstick in sink.

I said because I thought it'd explode. Then minutes later I said I stuck in the toilet. They seemed to write down everything else, then I noticed they didn't write that down, either they said "yes, this kid's going down", or they were just getting weary. So yeah, should I announce to the judge immediately "dear judge, I was nervous, cracked, lied nicer twist of words I'll or someone can think up , but besides that, everything else is true, and I hope that this slip doesn't overrule the fact that other things point to me being innocent did not decide to wake up and intentionally start a fire with a chopstick.

Or should I wait until she brings it up.. Yes I realize I have a lawyer, just want a different perspective. Re: What Happens At A Juvenile Court Trial I talked to someone, kind of a dopey druggie, not sure how reliable he is, but he says first lawyer speaks for me, judge grills me, then I speak.

I just realized.. I flip flopped in the polices prescence, they wrote or should've that down in Feb06, I got to court Jun06ish, the "dude" told me about my guilty "deal", and I assume they already went over the flipflop, so maybe it's not that bad? But it's a good idea to disclose it upfront I think? And what if no one noticed the flipflop that they shoudlve noticed yet I disclose, and the judge before was thinking nice, then says, ack, liar!

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