Juvenile Division

 Our mission as the Juvenile Division of the District Attorney is to reduce incidences of child abuse and neglect as well as reduce the number and severity of criminal offenses committed by minor children.  Our plan of attack as Juvenile prosecutors is to coordinate with other state and community agencies to provide children and families with the necessary services to promote family accountability, rehabilitation, and healthy child development.

 The Juvenile Division consists of three Assistant District Attorneys that handle a variety of cases involving minor children defined as children under the age of 18.  The Juvenile Division is responsible for initiating and prosecuting cases involving delinquent children, children in need of supervision, deprived children, and children in need of mental health treatment.  Delinquent cases involve minor children committing misdemeanor and felony crimes.  Deprived cases involve minor children that are allegedly abused, neglected, abandoned, or unable to be cared for by their parents or legal guardians.   Cases involving children in need of supervision are prosecuted where a child’s behaviors often do not rise to the level of delinquency; however, the child’s non-compliance with household rules, school attendance policies, etc… requires that the child be supervised by a probation officer.  Finally, children in need of mental health treatment are defined as children that are considered to be a threat to their own safety or a threat to the public based on a mental illness or drug and/or alcohol dependency and in-patient mental health treatment is deemed necessary.