Juvenile Court Process

336 Words2 Pages

Arrest, or referral, and intake are the first steps in the juvenile court process. A juvenile’s first interaction is usually a result of contact with a police officer. This occurs when a juvenile commits a serious crime and the police make an arrest. When the police make contact with a juvenile they have options as to how to proceed. Option one is to issue a warning. The officer would detain the minor, issue a verbal warning and then release them. Option two is to detain the minor, issue a warning and then release the minor into parent or guardian custody. A juvenile can also be introduced to the juvenile court process by referral. This is when a parent, teacher, social worker, or probation officer petitions the court to intervene. Option three is to refer the juvenile to a diversion program. …show more content…

Juveniles referred to diversion programs are usually status offenders or first-time offenders. Most diversion programs require a juvenile to complete a number of tasks or complete a rehabilitative process. At the completion of the program, most times the juvenile 's record is wiped clean, as long as it was part of the agreement. Diversion programs are used most to avoid putting the juvenile into the formal

Open Document