A juvenile court—also known as a young offender’s court—is a special court that handles criminal proceedings against minors—usually a child age 17 or younger, but in some states a child age 16 or younger, or age 15 or younger. Juveniles who are accused of violating a criminal statute against theft, drug use, drug possession, assault, disorderly conduct, underage drinking, truancy (skipping school), and curfew violations are often handled by juvenile courts. Juvenile dependency cases in which the state seeks to remove minors from a troubled home environment (when they are abused or neglected by their parents or guardians) are also handled by juvenile courts. But more violent offenses such as aggravated assault, rape, murder, and robbery are less likely to be prosecuted in juvenile court.

Cases in juvenile court are civil proceedings rather than criminal proceedings. This is significant because in juvenile court minors are charged with committing a delinquent act (a civil matter) rather than being charged with a criminal act. In juvenile court, juveniles do not have all of the Constitutional rights as an adult in criminal court does (such as the right to a jury trial), but police, prosecutors, and court officials have broad discretion in handling the case and giving the juvenile a second chance.

In Massachusetts, the Juvenile Court Department has jurisdiction over civil and criminal matters involving individuals under the age of 18. This includes delinquency, children in need of services (CHINS), care and protection petitions, and youthful offender cases. For most criminal offenses, the age of juvenile jurisdiction is under 18, but for murder charges, the age is under 14. Juvenile courts handle cases involving theft, drug offenses, assault, disorderly conduct, underage drinking, truancy, and curfew violations. More serious offenses, such as aggravated assault, rape, murder, and robbery, can also be handled by juvenile courts, but they may be tried as 'youthful offender' cases, which can result in more severe penalties and the possibility of serving time in an adult prison. While juveniles do not have the right to a jury trial in delinquency proceedings, they are afforded many of the same constitutional protections as adults, including the right to an attorney, the right to confront witnesses, and the protection against self-incrimination. The focus of the juvenile justice system in Massachusetts is on rehabilitation rather than punishment, with an emphasis on providing treatment and services to prevent future offenses.