Utah Juvenile Justice System

A young person who commits an offense and is arrested by police is automatically involved in the Utah juvenile justice system. There are certain processes which are then followed for each child in the system.

The police have a few different options for handling kids who’ve been arrested. They may:

• Take the child to a receiving center
• Make a referral to Youth Services
• Take the child’s name and give them a warning

Additionally, a juvenile may be required to see an intake probation officer about his offense. The probation officer will then decide what further steps—if any—need to be taken.

If a juvenile is arrested and booked, he will have to go to regular detention or be assigned home detention, depending on the judge. It is mandatory that a child receive a detention hearing within 48 hours. This is different than a regular court hearing. A juvenile’s guilt or innocence is determined at a court hearing, as well as any punishments that are to follow. Some possible consequences include:

• Fines
• Payment of restitution to victims
• Probation
• Detention
• Work camp

Serious Utah juvenile offenders may be transferred to the jurisdiction of adult court.

If a juvenile is placed under the custody of juvenile justice services, he receives a case manager. Then, the child may be required to secure care, observation and assessment or some other type of community placement.

When a child goes to observation and assessment, he spends 45 days in that program before returning to court and final determination, or a decision on placement.

Juveniles placed in secure care are handled by the Youth Parole Authority, who determines what services the child needs while in YPA custody.

While there are certain steps the state must follow when handling juveniles who are guilty of certain crimes, it is vital that any child in the juvenile system be represented by his own Utah juvenile defense attorney. Make sure that your child receives the legal help and support he needs by contacting an experienced Utah juvenile defense attorney today.