New Jersey Juvenile Crimes FAQ

A: In the juvenile justice system, your child will not face criminal charges. Instead, he or she will be charged with committing a delinquent act. Rather than being found guilty, he or she may be found delinquent. While the terminology is different from adult court, your child can still face significant consequences.

A: The most common penalty is probation, which may be combined with restitution, community service, counseling and other requirements. However, juveniles can also face detention for an extended period of time.

A: If the offense is serious enough, your child can be waived to adult court, where he or she will face criminal charges and adult penalties.

A: Your child will have an arrest record and a court record. While those records will be sealed to the general public, they will be visible to law enforcement, the military and the government.

A: Anyone who faces serious penalties such as detention should be represented by an attorney. If you cannot afford an attorney, you can use a public defender. However, public defenders are often overworked and cannot always devote the same amount of time and resources to your child’s defense.

A: In addition to court penalties, your child can face sanctions at school, up to and including expulsion.