Youth Court

Delinquent Child

A delinquent child is defined as a child between the ages of 10 to 17 years who has committed a delinquent act. These are defined as acts, which if committed by an adult, would be designated as a crime under state or federal law, or municipal or county ordinance other than offenses punishable by life imprisonment or death.

Child in Need of Supervision

A child who has reached his seventh birthday and is in need of treatment or rehabilitation because the child:

• Is habitually disobedient of reasonable and lawful commands of his parent, guardian or custodian and is ungovernable
• While being required to attend school, willfully and habitually violated the rules thereof or willfully and habitually absent himself there from
• Runs away from home without good cause
• Has committed a delinquent act or acts before his 10th birthday

Neglected Child

A child:

• Whose parent, guardian or custodian or any person responsible for his care or support, neglects or refuses, when so able to do, to provide for him proper and necessary care or support, or education as required by law, or medical, surgical, or other care necessary for his well-being; provided, however, a parent who withholds medical treatment from any child who in good faith is under treatment by spiritual means alone through prayer in accordance with the tenets and practices of a recognized church or religious denomination by a duly accredited practitioner thereof shall not, for that reason alone, be considered to be neglectful under any provision of this chapter; or
• Who is otherwise without proper care, custody, supervision or support; or
• Who, for any reason, lacks the special care made necessary for him by reason of his mental condition, whether said mental condition be mentally retarded or mentally ill; or
• Who for any reason, lacks the care necessary for his health, morals or well being.

Abused Child

A child whose parent, guardian or custodian or any person responsible for his care or support, whether legally obligated to do so or not, has caused or allowed to be caused upon said child

• Emotional abuse
• Mental injury
• Non-accidental physical injury
• Sexual abuse
• Sexual exploitation
• Other maltreatment

Provided, however, that physical discipline, including spanking, performed on a child by a parent, guardian or custodian in a reasonable manner shall not be deemed abuse under this section.

Child in Need of Special Care

A child with any mental or physical illness that cannot be treated with the dispositional alternatives ordinarily available to the youth court.

Hearing Schedule

• Monday through Thursday
  8 a.m. until 5:30 p.m.
• Friday
  8 a.m. until 3 p.m.