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 Wisconsin, the juvenile court system handles cases involving minors who are accused of violating criminal statutes, typically those who are 17 years old or younger. The juvenile court deals with a range of offenses including theft, drug-related offenses, assault, disorderly conduct, underage drinking, truancy, and curfew violations. Additionally, juvenile dependency cases, where there may be abuse or neglect in the home, are also within the purview of the juvenile courts. However, for more serious and violent crimes such as aggravated assault, rape, murder, and robbery, the juvenile may be waived into adult court depending on the circumstances and severity of the offense. In juvenile court, proceedings are civil rather than criminal, meaning that minors are adjudicated for delinquent acts instead of being criminally charged. While juveniles do not have all the same constitutional rights as adults, such as the right to a jury trial, the system is designed to focus on rehabilitation and offers more discretion to authorities in seeking resolutions that provide a second chance for the youth.