Juvenile Court Has a Whole New Vocabulary Than Adult Court

As juvenile Fairfax lawyers, we defend juveniles under the age of 18 who are accused of various criminal, and traffic, or delinquency offenses. Charges are brought against a juvenile by an officer going to juvenile intake and having a petition issued or by the officer issuing a summons in some cases. The terms used in a juvenile case are a bit different than those used for adults:

Adjudicatory Hearing v. Trial

Often when a juvenile has a trial it is referred to as an adjudicatory hearing. During this hearing, a judge can determine whether there is sufficient evidence to adjudicate the juvenile delinquent.

Disposition Hearing v. Sentencing

Once a Judge has adjudicated juvenile delinquent a decision must be made on what services the child needs, what punishment should be, etc. An Investigation and Report (I&R) is prepared by probation so the Judge can learn more about the juvenile’s history, education, family life, etc.

Detention v. Jail

If a Judge chooses to detain a juvenile, it is usually for their own safety or the safety of others. They are held in a detention facility instead of a jail.