Statistical Briefing Book

A general classification of case processing within the juvenile court system.

• Petitioned (formally handled) - Cases that appear on the official court calendar in response to the filing of a petition or other legal instrument requesting the court to adjudicate the youth delinquent or to waive the youth to criminal court for processing as an adult.
   
• Nonpetitioned (informally handled) - Cases that duly authorized court personnel screen for adjustment without the filing of a formal petition. Such personnel include judges, referees, probation officers, other officers of the court, and/or an agency statutorily designated to conduct petition screening for the juvenile court.

Being in a public place while intoxicated through consumption of alcohol or intake of a controlled substance or drug. This category includes public intoxication, drunkenness, and other liquor law violations. It does not include driving under the influence. Some states treat public drunkenness of juveniles as a status offense, rather than delinquency; hence, some of these offenses may appear under the status offense code "status liquor law violations." When a person who is publicly intoxicated performs acts that cause a disturbance, he or she may be charged with disorderly conduct.

The unlawful taking, carrying, leading, or riding away of property from the possession or constructive possession of another. Examples are thefts of bicycles or automobile accessories, shoplifting, pocket-picking, or the stealing of any property or article that is not taken by force and violence, or by fraud. Attempted larcenies are included. Embezzlement, "con" games, forgery, worthless checks, etc., are excluded.

Any court that has jurisdiction over matters involving juveniles.

A youth at or below the upper age of juvenile court jurisdiction in a particular state.

Definite action taken or treatment plan decided on or initiated regarding a particular case after the judicial decision is made. For the Juvenile Court Statistics report series, case dispositions are coded into the following categories:

• Waived to criminal court - Cases that were transferred to criminal court as the result of a waiver hearing in juvenile court.
   
• Placement - Cases in which youth were placed in a residential facility for delinquents or were otherwise removed from their homes and placed elsewhere.
   
• Probation - Cases in which youth were placed on informal/voluntary or formal/court‑ordered probation or supervision.
   
• Dismissed - Cases dismissed (including those warned, counseled, and released) with no further action anticipated. Among cases handled informally, some cases may be dismissed by the juvenile court because the matter is being handled in another court.
   
• Miscellaneous - A variety of actions not included above. This category includes fines, restitution and community services, referrals outside the court for services with minimal or no further court involvement anticipated, and dispositions coded as "Other" by the reporting courts.

The decision made in response to a petition that asks the court to adjudicate or waive the youth. This decision is generally made by a juvenile court judge or referee.

At the adjudicatory hearing, a youth may be adjudicated (judged) a delinquent or status offender if the juvenile court judge determines that the youth did commit the offense(s) charged in the petitioned. If the youth is adjudicated, the case proceeds to a disposition hearing. Alternatively, a case can be dismissed or continued in contemplation of dismissal. In these cases, the court can recommend that the youth take some actions prior to the final adjudication decision, such as paying restitution or voluntarily attending drug counseling.

During a waiver hearing, a petition is usually filed in juvenile court asking the juvenile court judge to waive jurisdiction over the case. The juvenile court judge decides whether the case merits criminal prosecution. When a waiver request is denied, the matter is usually scheduled for an adjudicatory hearing in the juvenile court. If the request is granted, the juvenile is judicially waived to criminal court for processing.

Referred cases are first screened by an intake department (either within or outside the court). The decision made by juvenile court intake may result in the case either being handled informally (nonpetitioned) at the intake level or being petitioned (formally handled) and scheduled for an adjudicatory or waiver hearing.

In informally handled (nonpetitioned) cases, duly authorized court personnel, having screened the case, decide not to file a formal petition. Such personnel include judges, referees, probation officers, other officers of the court, and/or agencies statutorily designated to conduct petition screening for the juvenile court.

Formally handled (petitioned) cases are those that appear on the court calendar in response to the filing of a petition, complaint, or other legal instrument requesting the court to adjudicate a youth as a delinquent, status offender, or dependent child or to waive jurisdiction and transfer a youth to criminal court.

Promoting, permitting, or engaging in illegal gambling.

Fraudulent conversion and obtaining money or property by false pretenses. Included are confidence games and bad checks, except forgeries and counterfeiting.

Making, altering, uttering, or possessing, with intent to defraud, anything false in the semblance of that which is true. Attempts are included.

Sexual intercourse or attempted sexual intercourse with a female against her will by force or threat of force. (Statutory offenses are excluded.) The term is used in the same sense as in the UCR Crime Index. Some states have enacted gender‑neutral rape or sexual assault statutes that prohibit forced sexual penetration of either sex. Data reported by these states do not distinguish between forcible rape of females as defined above and other sexual assaults.)

Misappropriation or misapplication of money or property entrusted to one's care, custody, or control.

Offenses relating to drunkenness or intoxication. Excluded is driving under the influence.

State and/or local offenses relating to the unlawful possession, sale, use, growing, and manufacturing of narcotic drugs. The following drug categories are specified: opium or cocaine and their derivatives (morphine, heroin, codeine); marijuana; synthetic narcotics - manufactured narcotics that can cause true addiction (demerol, methadone); and dangerous nonnarcotic drugs (barbiturates, benzedrine).

Driving or operating any vehicle or common carrier while drunk or under the influence of liquor or narcotics.

Unlawful interruption of the peace, quiet, or order of a community, including offenses called disturbing the peace, vagrancy, loitering, unlawful assembly, and riot.

An act committed by a juvenile for which an adult could be prosecuted in a criminal court, but when committed by a juvenile is within the jurisdiction of the juvenile court. Delinquent acts include crimes against persons, crimes against property, drug offenses, and crimes against public order, when juveniles commit such acts.

Offenses relating to violations of local curfew and loitering ordinances where such laws exist.

A statistic indicating the relative size of the sample on which the FBI's arrest and reported crime estimates are based. The coverage indicator incorporates the population served by reporting law enforcement agencies and the number of months the agencies reported arrest or reported crime counts during the calendar year. Where the indicator equals 100%, all law enforcement agencies in the jurisdiction reported for all 12 months. A more complete explanation of the coverage indicator can be found in the Methods Section of Easy Access to FBI Arrest Statistics.

Causing the death of another person without legal justification or excuse. Criminal homicide is a summary category, not a single codified offense. The term, in law, embraces all homicides where the perpetrator intentionally killed someone without legal justification, or accidentally killed someone as a consequence of reckless or grossly negligent conduct. It includes all conduct encompassed by the terms murder, nonnegligent (voluntary) manslaughter, negligent (involuntary) manslaughter, and vehicular manslaughter. The term is broader than the Crime Index category used in the FBI's UCR, in which murder/nonnegligent manslaughter does not include negligent manslaughter or vehicular manslaughter.

Unlawful entry or attempted entry of any fixed structure, vehicle, or vessel used for regular residence, industry, or business, with or without force, with intent to commit a felony or larceny. The term is used in the same sense as in the UCR Crime Index.

Intentional damaging or destruction by means of fire or explosion of the property of another without the owner's consent, or of any property with intent to defraud, or attempting the above acts.

Unlawful intentional inflicting of serious bodily injury with or without a deadly weapon, or unlawful intentional attempting or threatening of serious bodily injury or death with a deadly or dangerous weapon. The term is used in the same sense as in the Uniform Crime Report (UCR) Crime Index. It encompasses conduct included under the statutory names aggravated assault and battery, aggravated battery, assault with intent to kill, assault with intent to commit murder or manslaughter, atrocious assault, attempted murder, felonious assault, and assault with a deadly weapon.

Adjudication is the court process that determines if the juvenile committed the act for which he or she is charged. The term "adjudicated" indicates that the court concluded the juvenile committed the act. A juvenile adjudication is not the equivalent of a conviction in adult criminal court.