Juvenile Court Glossary
This glossary is provided so that people attending Juvenile Court hearings may have a better understanding of the language and proceedings they will hear and see. Should additional questions arise, please ask the Probation Officer or Victim Advocate assigned to your case for further information.
302 Commitment – This mental health proceeding forces an evaluation, which may place an individual in the hospital involuntarily for mental health observation and treatment. A Juvenile Court Judge instead of a Mental Health Officer may hear a “302” hearing when certain conditions apply.
Act 33 – A case wherein a defendant who is a juvenile by age, is charged as an adult because the crime alleged meets certain criteria.
Act 53 – The process by which a parent or guardian can petition the Court to declare their child to be in need of involuntary drug and/or alcohol treatment services.
Adjudication – That portion of the hearing wherein the judge or Hearing Officer determines if the juvenile committed the crime or any portion of the crime with which he or she is charged.
Aftercare – Upon release from residential placement, a period of strict supervision to closely monitor the juvenile’s adjustment back into the community.
Balanced and Restorative Justice – Balanced and Restorative Justice is the law in Pennsylvania. This law maintains that the Court process must include significant input from the victim at every level of the process, and takes into account public safety, offender accountability, and victim restoration.
Certification – The process by which a juvenile can be charged as an adult by transferring prosecution of an offense from Juvenile Court to Criminal Court.
Collections Department – Department within Juvenile Court that receives and documents all restitution payments. This department is also responsible for collecting and making sure victims receive all Court ordered monies.
Commitment – A Court ordered placement in either a residential or day treatment facility.
Community Intensive Supervision Project (CISP) – A community-based program that serves as an alternative to placement for male juvenile offenders between the ages of 10 and 18. All CISP youth are supervised, monitored, and held accountable 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Community Service – The performance of unpaid work, usually in a social service setting, aimed specifically at restoring the victim and community for the harm caused by a juvenile’s delinquent activity.
Consent Decree – An order of the Court which suspends the delinquent proceedings against the juvenile and places youth under voluntary supervision in his or her own home, under terms and conditions negotiated with the probation department and agreed to by all parties affected.
Continued Hearing – A case that is postponed or rescheduled to another date.
Court Appointed Attorney – Where an ethical conflict of interest exists for the Office of the Public Defender to represent a juvenile (such as when two or more juveniles are charged as co-defendants) the Judge will appoint additional defense attorney(s). These attorneys are called Conflict Attorneys because their appointment to the case resolves the conflict.
Court Clerk – The Court employee who is present during the Court proceedings whose purpose is to maintain the official papers and orders.
CYF Caseworker – Children, Youth, and Families is a County agency acting as an agent of the Pennsylvania Department of Public Welfare. A CYF caseworker is the agency representative involved in dependency cases that deal with alleged abuse and/or neglect of children, or children who are beyond their parents control.
Day Treatment Program – A Court ordered placement into the community that provides rehabilitative treatment for juveniles during the day and evening hours.
De-certification – The process by which a juvenile charged as an adult can be transferred from Criminal Court to Juvenile Court for prosecution of an offense.
Disposition – What the judge orders to happen to the juvenile at the end of the hearing.
District Attorney (DA) – A lawyer who, as the prosecutor, represents the Commonwealth and speaks for the victim. A DA is assigned to most cases automatically.
District Office – A Juvenile Probation Office located in the community.
Felony – A legal term used to define the most serious offenses.
Hearing Officer – Also known as a “Master”, a Hearing Officer is an attorney appointed by the Court who is authorized, under the Juvenile Act, to conduct delinquency and dependency hearings. Hearing Officers’ decisions can be appealed to a Juvenile Court Judge.
Judge – Determines adjudications of dependency and delinquency and determines dispositions.
Juvenile Act – State legislation that dictates the rules and regulations of Juvenile Court
Misdemeanor – A legal term used to define most offenses.
No Contact Order – A Court order which states that the juvenile is not permitted to have contact with a specific person(s). Contact is not permitted in person, by telephone, fax, e-mail, letter, etc. Most of these orders state that neither the juvenile nor the juvenile’s family or friends be permitted to have any contact with the victim(s) and witnesses.
Non-Secure Placement – A residential facility, which provides treatment and rehabilitation while affording juveniles the opportunity to participate in community service projects, and activities on and off grounds.
Permission to Place – The Judge orders permission to investigate residential programs for the juvenile.
Petition – The official document, which contains the formal statement of charges against the juvenile.
Petition Hearing – A Court hearing where testimony is taken regarding charges against the juvenile.
Probation – When a juvenile defendant is found by the Court to be delinquent (guilty) of a crime, and is ordered to be under supervision of a Probation Officer. The conditions (rules) imposed by the Judge and probation department must be followed.
Probation Officer (PO) – Neutral Court staff officer who supervises a juvenile during his or her probationary period or other Court ordered supervision (such as Consent Decree, placement, day treatment, etc.) and who enforce the terms and conditions imposed by the Judge and the probation department.
Public Defender (PD) – A lawyer who represents juvenile offenders who are unable to afford a private attorney.
Residential Treatment Facility (RTF) – These specialized facilities treat delinquent issues when a mental health diagnosis is also present.
Restitution – Any money that a juvenile offender is ordered to pay to his or her victim(s). Restitution is frequently ordered to repay victims for any out of pocket losses that occurred solely as a result of the juvenile’s delinquent act(s).
Review by Memo –The Probation Officer submits a report to the Judge outlining and updating the juvenile’s progress and compliance with the Judges last order. No attendance is necessary.
Review Hearing – Hearing to review the status of a case.
School Based Probation Officer – Probation Officer assigned to provide Court supervision to all juveniles active with the Court and attending a specific school.
Secure Placement – A residential facility which provides treatment and rehabilitation. Restrictions are imposed to monitor a juvenile's every action.
Secure facilities are equipped with various devices, such as fences, locked exits, and entrances, to ensure that juveniles are unable to leave the facility.
Sequester – Witnesses are asked to leave the courtroom while other(s) testify.
Sheriff’s Deputy – The deputies are in charge of security for the entire Court House, and handle all medical emergencies until the paramedics arrive. Deputies at Juvenile Court provide security for the Court Rooms and the Public. Deputies also provide transportation for detained youth as ordered by the Court.
Side Bar – Conversation at the Judges desk that takes place during the hearing between only the Judge, the defense attorney and the District Attorney. The Probation Officer is also expected to participate.
Special Services Unit (SSU) – A division within the Juvenile Probation department that addresses the special treatment needs of sex offenders.
Status Offense – Behaviors which are not a summary, misdemeanor, or felony, and which are only misbehaviors if committed by juveniles. These offenses are usually handled by a District Justice, or CYF but can be handled by Juvenile Court when certain conditions are present. These offenses include truancy, running away from home, underage drinking, curfew violations and the like.
Summary – A summary offense is usually of a minor nature, and normally carries a less serious penalty, such as fine or community service. The District Justice usually handles summary offenses, but these can be handled by Juvenile Court when certain conditions are present. Additionally, the District Justice can refer the case to Juvenile Court if the youth fails to comply with the sentence.
Teleconference – A review hearing conducted by telephone when a juvenile is in residential placement.
The Academy – A day/evening community based program that serves as an alternative to placement for delinquent males and females between the ages of 10 and 18. Juveniles committed to the program participate in a variety of treatment groups and attend academic and GED preparation, as well as vocational skill building.
Tipstaff – The Court Staff member who is responsible for the orderly flow of cases through the Judge’s courtroom.
Victim Advocate – A social service worker who supports and assists victims, witnesses and their families through the Court process by addressing questions and concerns, attending court with them and providing additional services, as needed.
Victim Compensation Fund – A state fund to assist victims who have sustained a financial loss as a direct result of a crime. A mandatory cost against the juvenile is imposed whenever a juvenile is adjudicated delinquent or receives a Consent Decree disposition.
Violation of Probation (VOP)or Violation of Conditions of Supervision – When a juvenile under court supervision breaks their rules.
Waiver – Agreeing to give up certain rights.
Warrant – A Court Order authorizing arrest and secure detention of the juvenile.
Youth Development Center (YDC) – Secure residential facility operated by the state.
Juvenile Court Glossary - Revised 12/09
Published and Distributed by Juvenile Section Common Pleas Court - Family Division
Juvenile Court Glossary - Published and Distributed by Juvenile Section Common Pleas Court - Family Division
Posted by:Rocco--Monday, May 10, 2010
Flying Above the Storm - by Ralph Kramdem
Posted by:Sally--Sunday, May 09, 2010
“Eagles: When they walk, they stumble. They are not what one would call graceful. They were not designed to walk. They fly. And when they fly, oh, how they fly, so free, so graceful. They see from the sky what we never see.”
Have you ever seen an eagle soar? No wonder it is our national bird. The symbol of soaring above everything gives our nation, us, the feeling of control and leadership. Wouldn't it be great if we could soar?
But, down here on earth, trouble brews. Things, bad things, happen. Our children get into crap, bad crap. Sanity goes right out of the window when chemicals, drugs, or alcohol move into our families. As our children put it: this sucks! It's like a storm, a huge thunder storm with lots of wind blowing everything out of place. Lightning is crashing and destroying things all around us. The rain is coming down so heavy that we can see only a few feet in front of us. The sky is dark. Day has become like night. We are in the middle of the target of the storm. And it doesn't feel good, not one bit.
Well, recently I was on a trip, flying cross-country in an airplane. The plane was over some wonderful part of the eagle's great country, at 30-some thousand feet. There were a few clouds, but mostly the plane and my window, were bathed in sun, bright, warm sunlight. Looking out the plane's window, I saw a large storm. The clouds went from the ground, all the way up to our flight level. The earth below was being pounded with rain, lightning, and storms, heavy storms. I knew the people below were being devastated by the turmoil. They were in the thick of it, literally and figuratively. They were not having an easy time. The storm was ripping through the towns below. However, like the eagle, I was soaring in the sun. I was flying above the danger and damage.
So, I have been learning a lot about how children manipulate their parents. I have also been researching what I call the "drug mind", or how young addicts think. And it hit me: my son had been manipulating me for a long time. He set things up, said things, told me lies, told me he would or would not do things (idle threats, I call them), and all manner of things to manipulate me so that his life style, his "mind", would be able to preserve itself. And I was enabling it. I was not stopping the drug addiction, but was being manipulated into allowing it to live. I was so wrong to enable it. But, once we recognize the manipulation for what it is, the enabling can begin to stop. Now, when he makes idle threats, I realize that I am being set up. Now, when he tells me yet another lie, I see it for what it is: survival tactics of a "mind" that is trying to hang on or is losing its stronghold. Now, when he plays the games that let me enable him, I can see them for what they are: not love, but manipulation.
And suddenly, the rain started to lift a little. The lightning wasn't coming so close. The storm was moving off. ... Wait, it wasn't the storm that was moving. My son is still a drug addict and alcoholic, who doesn't want to get clean, and is facing serious charges. My son, from my point of view, is still trying to wreck his entire life. The storm is still there. The storm is still destroying things and lives. It was me who was moving. I was learning to fly above his problems. I was the one who saw that I could become an eagle. I still have a long way to go. My son will probably learn better manipulation techniques. But I can learn too. I can fly higher above his problems. I can work on my own problems. But most of all, I can learn to fly above the storm.
Happy Mothers Day from PSST and The MOM SONG!
Posted by:Lloyd Woodward--Sunday, May 09, 2010
Four parents, all mothers, attended our Meeting. Val and I were there. We got to practice our skills more than we usually do since it was a small meeting.
One of the topics concerned Teens doing well temporarily just so that they can have privileges restored but the parent really is NOT COMFORTABLE with restoring things like cell phones etc. See The Third Most Effective Manipulation Technique. Another topic concerned a parent who needs to work closely with The Academy day/ evening program and with Probation. Good meeting, thanks for the support of those that showed up and those that tune into read this blog.
As we did last year I am going to put the Mom Song on our blog in honor of Mother's Day.
A Happy Mother's Day to:
To mothers everywhere who fight the good fight.
To mothers all over who live with the fright
that their teenagers might die from this deadly disease...
To mothers who try so hard to fix things up so that their
teens won't suffer when they screw things up.
To mothers who cry at night for all that they have lost
To mothers who cry for what they fear they will loose.
To mothers who know that every time they say goodbye
It could be the last time they look in their children's eyes.
To mothers who take matters into their own hands
who decide to do whatever it takes.
To mothers who come to awkward meetings with strangers
if they think they might learn some important new thing
To mothers who think that now armed with this new knowledge
they can make a difference.
To mothers who strive to use the Courts, the police, the school,
the parents of their teen's friends, ACT 53,outpatient, church pastors, family therapists, support group meetings, (who turn over every last stone.)
To mothers who refuse to give up on their drug-driven teens
but who refuse to enable one more month, week, day or even minute
because they know how horrible each enabling act can be.
To mothers who rise above the fear- who stand up to their teenager
even though they are scared - scared of death but scared of more-
scared that teenagers will love them no more.
To mothers who agree to be the bad guy
and stand up to their teenagers every time they get high.
To mothers who have from time to time seen their teen get it together and experience the sober-mind.
To mothers who have seen some great turn-around
and this brings about the joy you have sought.
And yet even so- this is to you mothers who still live in fear
that even when things are going good that the disease is still there.
Happy Mothers Day as you strive to make things right,
because you fight this fight at great sacrifice.
There are no greater heroes, be they large or small,
who can hold a candle to you all.
Max & Mel's Terrible Adventure: THE PREQUEL
Posted by:Sally--Tuesday, May 04, 2010
At the exact moment that Max & Mel's Terrible Adventure Parts 1 & 2 were occurring, Mel and I were also dealing with the problems of our oldest son, Michael.
When Michael was very young, he read early, had a large vocabulary, was interested in science, space, bugs, made surprisingly mature and interesting observations, and enjoyed his playmates. After preschool, he attended private school kindergarten. The teachers there suggested he repeat kindergarten because he was "immature" and "couldn't hold still". Since Michael was our first child, we started to worry. We fell prey to "Helicopter Parenting"....everyone else we knew was parenting this way, so I assumed it was the accepted method. We decided to have him tested to make sure nothing was wrong. He tested in the gifted range! No wonder he wiggled in his class...he is bored! WOW, we were raising a genius. Michael was adopted at birth (as was his brother David) so we said to ourselves, "it's nature and nurture. We are clearly nurturing him well, he has a gifted IQ, therefore he will do well in school and in life. We should start saving for Harvard right away". We kept him in private school through first grade, then we moved to a different neighborhood with a good public elementary school within walking distance. It was a great experience. Michael had nice friends with nice parents, did well in school, and attended the gifted program once a week. He went on to public middle school where the circle of friends broadened to include people we didn't know, parents who weren't always as vigilant, but he still had a core group of boys that we knew, and whose parents we could communicate with. His grades were fair, not as good as they should be considering how smart we knew he was, and still attended the gifted program once a week. He started to dress in more of a hip hop style which wasn't our favorite, but we knew teens need a mode of expression, and so far, it wasn't out of line. Then came high school...
Mel and I didn't realize that he had been skipping many classes until we went to the first parent-teacher meeting. No one called us, or wrote a letter asking where he was. We were in complete shock. We found marijuana in his backpack, a small pipe on a different occasion (of course, none of those were his, he was just watching it for a friend). We had serious talks, doled out punishments, consulted our pediatrician, and started seeing a psychologist whose sub specialty was teens. After consulting with him we decided Mel and I would see him ourselves for parenting advice and help. We decided that all of the things Michael was doing were typical teen rebellion, common activities that Mel himself did as a teen. So we watched, searched his room and backpack on a regular basis, kept up with the shrink, kept on him about school, kept in touch with his teachers, and helicoptered around....and believed many of the things he told us. We found cans of spray paint in his back pack...for tagging (i.e. graffiti...we also were learning a new vocabulary). His high school friends that he never told us about were taggers, pot heads, drop-outs, and wanna-be Rap stars. He failed 2 classes his sophomore year, and went to summer school last summer. We thought he may have finally learned his lesson with this natural consequence. He had a decent summer job with a landscaper, and seemed to be on a better path.
In September of this school year, right after the G-20 convention, my cell phone rang. "This is Officer Smith, we have arrested your son Michael. We need you to come down to the station". I sent Mel, as I knew I would get emotional and not listen properly. It turned out that during this same summer, Michael and his old friend Eric that we knew, decided on a lark to jump an innocent kid, steal his phone and ipod, and beat him up. The kid and his family decided to press charges (I salute them), and knew Eric from the neighborhood. They didn't know Michael, so it took time to figure out who he was. He was taken for processing, then to Shuman. I thought I would die of shame and sorrow. How could this happen in our family? What did Mel and I do wrong? He was gifted...didn't he know better? We never, ever promoted violence, lying, stealing...in fact, we ranted and raved against it! How on earth could our son be like this? How could I ever tell our extended family, our friends? We had a hearing at Shuman, and Michael was put on home detention. Had I known then what I know now (through PSST), I would have insisted on a home monitoring system. So, in between phone call check ins, Michael would sneak out of the house through a window, and return without us ever knowing. Once he took his brother David with him, took my car, went to get high, and returned home through the window. I should mention here that Michael never got his drivers permit...so I never took him driving in a car. Apparently he drove anyway. The evening before we (finally) went to court, we decided to have a family dinner. We waited and waited for our son David to show up. Then the phone rang...it was a policeman telling me they had Michaels' brother David cuffed in a squad car, and that I should come and get him. (this is where Max & Mel's Terrible Adventure Part 1 begins!)
Michael was given 5 months at The Academy after school program, where he is currently, being counseled for drugs & alcohol, victim awareness & anger management. He has family counseling, community service, and gets curfew calls. He has a fantastic PO who is stays on him and supports Mel and me. He has responded well to all of this, and it has clearly impacted him for the better. He is doing better in school, and has some future goals. At home things are better too, but not entirely because of the Academy. With the help of PSST, Mel and I have stopped enabling (we do not like to admit to ourselves that we were... but we were...) and have regained control of our home, and enjoy our lives. We work as a team. We are a united front, and I don't feel so frightened anymore. We actually laugh quite a bit, and are able to joke about our situation, which is far from being over. We will always be sad about the loss of our dreams, of what we hoped our child would be like when he grew up. But we no longer blame ourselves or our parenting. We did everything we knew how to do - we just didn't know what else there was! If only we had known about PSST before Michael went to high school...
rest of the post here
Hey Dad, can I have another nugget?
Posted by:Rocco--Monday, May 03, 2010
Summary of the May 1 PSST Meeting
It was a warm and sunny Saturday.
A lot of spring stuff was going on all over;
people preparing for the Pittsburgh Marathon, people doing yard work and getting their gardens ready for summer, people out repairing and painting their houses, people flying kites and people cruising in big green Cadillacs.
At the Eastern Probation Office in Wilkinsburg there was a lot of action taking place at the Saturday morning PSST meeting restoring and healing parents from the distress and difficulties caused by their teen’s addiction.
Val, Kathie and Lloyd were there as well as 8 parents (including 3 dads - YEAH!).
We were thankful to have an experienced and supportive couple checking in as well as some clued-in parents returning to discuss their current situation and how they are handling their teens.
Several of us have been able to reach the point, as one dad put it, of “Flying above the turmoil” that our teens tend to create. When they begin to realize that even their best manipulation skills don’t have the same enabling effect anymore they begin to “get it”. They are no longer in control. Flying above them is a good tool to gain back control of our homes and to stop enabling our kids.
We talked about how this is similar to a mouse in the maze. The mouse is used to getting nuggets to eat whenever they push on the bar at the end. One day when their nugget doesn’t pop out anymore they become agitated and they push the bar harder and harder. I think we have all experienced this pushing from our teens. This is when it becomes very important not to give in. By NOT giving them even one little nugget we reinforce that the power has returned to the parents. It doesn’t mean they won’t keep pushing. But when they continue to push for one more little favor, be prepared as our dad above is. He now replies to his son, “So when are you going to start working on that ‘Recovery Favor’ for me again?”
Another parent gave us all some insight in to the twisted logic of the teenage drug user. Her son doesn’t understand why coming home from a party late and drunk, qualifies as grounds to keep him from attending his prom later on this month. After all his girl friend has already bought her dress and he already put down $100, or was it $20, or no it was $50 on the limo. As in "Mom you are always so confused!"
After some discussion it was suggested that he could go to the prom if and only if his mom drives them to and from the prom, that his mom is a chaperon at the prom and that he doesn’t even think of attending an after-prom party. And just to be perfectly clear - There will be no use of drugs or alcohol (YES you do need to emphasize that). We all agreed that there is a good chance that he will not accept these terms but then “going or not going” becomes his decision.
Finally our experienced dad explained how we all need to adjust our own behavior, our own lifestyle and our perception of our teenage drug abusers. As he explained “It is not that the addict doesn’t care. It is not that they are not ashamed of what they are doing. It is not that they don’t want to recover. It is that their addiction causes them to be so narrowly focused on their primary goal of getting their next high that they don’t see that their lives are unmanageable.”
We need to accept that this is not just “their” problem. This is the whole family’s problem. That this is our reality and we need to adjust our way of life if our child is going to recover. Three items that are indispensable for us and our teen are honesty, open-mindedness, and willingness. If we can achieve these we are well on our way.
That is why PSST is here. To provide the help we need, to gain the skills required and to get the assistance we need to get back the power to save our kid’s lives.
We look forward to seeing a lot of you at our next PSST meeting this coming Saturday May 8 at Trinity Lutheran Church 2500 Brandt School Road, Wexford, PA 15090.
