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 South Carolina, the Family Court has exclusive jurisdiction over most juvenile offenses, dealing with individuals who are under the age of 17 at the time of the offense (under 16 for some serious crimes). These courts handle cases involving delinquency, which includes crimes ranging from theft and drug offenses to assault and underage drinking. Juvenile dependency matters, where children may be removed from homes due to abuse or neglect, are also within the purview of the Family Court. For more severe crimes, such as aggravated assault, rape, murder, and robbery, the prosecutor may seek to have the juvenile tried as an adult, depending on the circumstances and the age of the offender. In juvenile proceedings, the focus is on rehabilitation rather than punishment, and the process is civil, not criminal. This means juveniles are adjudicated delinquent rather than convicted of crimes. While juveniles do not have the right to a jury trial in juvenile court, they are still afforded certain constitutional protections, such as the right to an attorney and the right to confront witnesses.