Who is Charged in Juvenile Court?

When a crime has been committed by someone who is under the age of 18, they will be asked to appear before a Judge in juvenile court, and not before a Judge in the adult criminal justice system. Although most juveniles charged with a crime will be scheduled to appear before the youth justice system, that is not always the case.

In certain situations, the minor will be asked to appear before a criminal Judge in the Criminal court. If the charge involves murder, rape, or serious crimes, the minor will be tried in the adult Court.

Right to A Jury Trial

One of the biggest differences between the two types of courts is the fact that a juvenile does not have a right to a jury trial. Any issue before the Judge in a juvenile court will be heard by the Judge and determined by the Judge after having carefully weighed both sides. In adult court, the person being charged can accept a plea bargain or opt to have their case heard. If they choose to have their case heard, it will be heard in front of a Jury, which will then make a decision on the verdict.

Severity of Consequences

Much like the sentencing for adults, Judges in juvenile court will use legislative guidelines to determine an adequate sentence for a youth that has been convicted. However, potential consequences for minors tend to be more severe for certain offenses than for adults. This is because the ultimate goal with minors in imposing a sentence is different from that of the adult court.

The emphasis for the general criminal court is for the adult to pay their debt to society, whether it be monetary, in terms of community service or jail time. The goal with Juveniles is to prevent them from continuing down a bad path, and to get them on the right track so they do not commit more crimes in the future. The focus is more on rehabilitation than punishment.