Juvenile Delinquency
Youth under 18 years old who violate criminal laws are brought into the juvenile justice system. Juvenile Court cases follow different procedures than the Adult Criminal system however, a youth in the juvenile system receives all the trial rights that an adult charged with a crime would have. Even though a conviction in the juvenile court, which is called adjudication, is not the same as an adult criminal conviction, it has serious consequences. The Juvenile Court’s goal is accountability, rehabilitation and treatment of juveniles.