Judicial Decision and Disposition

Adjudication
In 1995, 50% of petitioned status offense cases handled by juvenile courts resulted in formal adjudication (figure 14).³ Ungovernability, truancy, and liquor law violation cases carried virtually the same likelihood of adjudication (figure 15). Proportionately fewer runaway cases were adjudicated. The proportion of petitioned status offense cases resulting in adjudication declined from 67% to 50% between 1986 and 1995 (table 55). There was some variation across status offense categories in the decline in the proportion of petitioned cases resulting in adjudication.