How does the county attorney s role in juvenile court differ from that in district court?
The easiest way to answer this question is to explain the differences in juvenile and district courts. From truancy to neglect to homicide, all juvenile justice issues fall under the jurisdiction of the county attorney and the district court that is unless the juvenile will be tried as an adult. In that case, he or she will be tried by a commonwealth s attorney in circuit court. Juvenile cases are broken down into three categories status, dependence, and criminal. These cases are heard in a separate division of district court, which is usually referred to as juvenile court. Status Status cases involve acts that wouldn t be considered crimes if adults committed them. Being a habitual runaway and skipping school are two examples. Efforts, such as arranging for counseling, are made to involve families and their children in solving the problem. Dependence, neglect, and abuse These cases do not involve juvenile crimes, but rather crimes against children, such as neglect or abuse. Dependency
