Juvenile Court Cases

Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP), Serving Children, Families, and Communities

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Q:	What proportion of delinquency cases are referred to juvenile court by law enforcement agencies?
A:	The majority (81%) of delinquency cases handled in juvenile court in 2005 were referred by law enforcement agencies.

Percentage of delinquency cases referred by law enforcement, 1985-2005

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Cases can be referred to juvenile court by any one of a number of sources such as law enforcement agencies, social service agencies, schools, parents, probation officers, and victims.
Law enforcement agencies referred 91% of property offense cases, 91% of drug law violation cases, 87% of person offense cases, and 61% of public order offense cases handled in juvenile court in 2005.
A smaller proportion of public order cases are referred to juvenile court by law enforcement, largely because this offense category contains cases involving contempt of court and probation violations that are most often referred by probation or court personnel.

Internet citation: OJJDP Statistical Briefing Book. Online. Available: http://ojjdp.ncjrs.gov/ojstatbb/court/qa06203.asp?qaDate=2005. Released on September 12, 2008.

Adapted from Puzzanchera, C. and Sickmund, M. (2008). Juvenile Court Statistics 2005. Washington, D.C.: Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention.