What is the difference between a juvenile court and adult court?

In Virginia, juvenile court is a unique system that handles criminal prosecution of minors under the age of 18. The main difference between juvenile court and adult court is that the juvenile court system focuses on rehabilitation rather than punishment. This means that a juvenile court judge has more discretion over how to handle a case than an adult court judge would. For example, in juvenile court, the judge may order a minor to perform community service rather than serve prison time. In addition, the juvenile court system typically operates in secrecy, meaning that proceedings and records are not open to the public as they typically are in adult court proceedings. Another key distinction between juvenile and adult court is that juveniles are typically tried as “delinquents” rather than criminals. This means that a juvenile in Virginia may be held accountable for their actions in a court of law, but they cannot be convicted of a crime. In conclusion, the primary difference between juvenile court and adult court in Virginia is the focus on rehabilitation over punishment and the closed proceedings that help protect minors from being publicly labeled as criminals and from having a criminal record.

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What is the difference between a juvenile court and adult court?

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