Will my child automatically go to Court?

If your child has had no previous referrals to the department and if the law violation is of a less serious magnitude, it may be possible to divert the case from formal court proceedings. These outcomes are called Supervisory Caution and Deferred Prosecution. Deferred Prosecution entails a period of voluntary supervision lasting 90 to 180 days, and often utilizes a period of Community Service Restitution. If your child could benefit from other specialized programs, a referral will be made at this time. If Deferred Prosecution supervision is not successfully completed, the original charge may be pursued.

By statute, all youth referred for an offense of Class B Misdemeanor or greater must be fingerprinted and photographed. This is accomplished by a deputy sheriff stationed in the detention center. If charges prove to be unfounded, these records are destroyed.