If you are being accused of a minor offense as a juvenile, your case may go to the juvenile review board instead of a court of law. The juvenile review board will act as an intervention program for at-risk youths and help them receive the rehabilitation that they need without risking serious penalties by going to court. You can learn more about the juvenile review board and if you qualify for it on this page!
What is the Juvenile Review Board?
One important thing to know about the juvenile review board is that the main goal of this board is to intervene with at-risk youth prior to court involvement. After the arrest of a minor, a police officer can refer a case to the juvenile review board. If an officer does not refer the individual, the juvenile court itself may decide that the case will be best served by the juvenile review board and refer the case to the board. It is important to keep in mind that the juvenile review board does not accept serious cases; so ideal candidates would be juveniles charged with misdemeanors or other minor offenses. If you have been charged with a serious offense, the review board will probably refrain from taking your case.
Who Makes Up the Board?
The board itself is comprised of professionals in the community, such as law enforcement agents, teachers, therapists, local youth service providers, juvenile court staff, and similar professionals. Any town may create a juvenile review board, and the board is overseen by local authorities – not state agencies. The board will determine an appropriate rehabilitative resolution for the juvenile. In many cases, this means charity work, counseling, and similar recommendations. If the defendant successfully completes the juvenile review board’s recommendations, the case will go away, and there will be no record of the case. If the recommendations are not successfully completed, the case will be sent to juvenile court and it will go to trial.
If possible, you should use the juvenile review board instead of the juvenile court for your case. The juvenile review board generally assigns less severe punishments than the juvenile court does, which will be helpful in your situation. In addition, you will not have a juvenile record if your case goes to the juvenile review board and you successfully complete its requirements.