When a juvenile is suspected of violating a criminal statute, the procedure that's followed is very different from that used for adult offenders in a typical criminal case. All states have created a special juvenile court system for minors who get into trouble with the law. And although some minors are ultimately judged to be delinquent by these juvenile courts, the different players in a typical juvenile case -- including police officers, prosecutors, and judges -- have broad discretion to fashion other outcomes. (To learn about a minor's constitutional rights throughout the juvenile court process.
Although the procedure for juvenile delinquency cases varies from state to state, the following is a rundown of a typical juvenile case. (To learn about juvenile courts and delinquency in general, see Nolo's article)