Juvenile Court System

1
Juvenile Court System

• Chapter 16 Section 3

2

• What are Juvenile Cases?
• Cases in which the government prosecutes a
  juvenile. Young people who commit crimes are
  called juvenile delinquents.
• The goal of the juvenile system is to
  rehabilitate offenders rather than punish them.
• 2 Types of Juvenile Cases
• Neglect Cases that involve juveniles who are
  neglected or abused.
• Delinquency - Cases that involve juveniles that
  commit crimes.

3
Steps in a Juvenile Case

• Arrest The juvenile is arrested and the
  police decide whether to divert the juvenile into
  a special program and away from the courts or to
  detain the juvenile for trial.
• The Preliminary Hearing is held to determine
  whether there is enough evidence to go through
  with trial.
• The Trial is held and the judge (not a jury)
  issues a verdict.
• The Sentencing Hearing The judge issues a
  sentence. The judge can sentence in the following
  ways
• Issue the juvenile a warning
• Send the juvenile to a special program or
  institution
• Divert the juvenile from the system
• Give the juvenile probation