Did you receive a citation or referral?
If you are not detained at the Jan Evans Juvenile Detention Center, you will most likely meet with an employee from the Juvenile Services Department. Most times, this meeting happens before charges are filed against you.
Accepting Informal Consequences: At this meeting, if you admit that you did the delinquent offense or are in need of supervision, the Juvenile Services employee may offer you informal consequences. These informal consequences can be community service, work crew, paying restitution or other terms decided by the probation officer.
If you and your parents agree to accept the informal consequences, you will not meet with a attorney. You will not have to go to court. You will sign a contract that lists what you have to do and then you must complete these terms.
If you do not successfully complete this contract, then you will be failed from the informal consequences. At that point, you will meet with an attorney and appear in court to face the original charges against you.
Declining Informal Consequences: If you do not admit to the allegations against you, or if you do not agree to the terms of the informal consequences, you will be referred to court. You will meet with an attorney before you appear in front of the Judge.