What happens when someone under the age of 18 is charged with a crime?
A juvenile (i.e., a person under the age of 18 years) who is charged with committing a crime, with habitual truancy, or with incorrigibility, comes within the jurisdiction of the juvenile delinquency court. After a juvenile is arrested, he or she is usually released to a parent, but occasionally the allegation is so serious that the juvenile is detained until he or she first appears in the juvenile court, which usually occurs within 48 to 72 hours. For the most part, juvenile court proceedings are confidential and are not open to the general public. However, for any exceptions, it is best to ask a probation officer assigned to the juvenile court, or an attorney who practices in the juvenile court. Juvenile court proceedings are different than adult court, including the special legal terms that are used. Many juveniles who are arrested never go to juvenile court but are handled informally by the probation department. These proceedings are known as 654.2.
A child who is charged with committing a crime, with habitual truancy, or with incorrigibility, comes within the jurisdiction of the juvenile delinquency court. After a child is arrested, the child may be released to a parent and cited into court at some future date — or transported to a juvenile hall. The police then submit their reports to the District Attorney’s Office. If the District Attorney’s Office decides to charge the child with a crime, the matter is set for arraignment in juvenile court. At the arraignment an attorney is appointed to represent the child. Usually the court will also order the probation department to prepare a report which details the child’s history at home and at school and will help determine whether court intervention in the child’s life is necessary. If the matter is not resolved at that time, the case is usually calendared for trial or adjudication. If the charges are admitted or found true at trial, another hearing, called a disposition hearing is hel
