Unfortunately, the courtroom is where many of the important issues regarding children involved in the juvenile justice system are resolved. These cases are divided into primarily dependency and delinquency cases.  In the dependency court, the judge meets with all of the interested parties and holds hearings that decide where a child may be placed and what services will be provided.  In attendance at these hearings are the children, their parents, the attorneys for the parties, the representatives of the Department of Children and families, and representatives of the guardian-ad- litem office, and wrap around counseling services.  Children and their parents are often in custody, so representatives of the sheriff’s department are needed to provide security.

On the delinquency side, court proceedings are much like those that occur in the adult court, only the defendants and frequently the victims are juveniles.  The purpose of the delinquency court is to provide assistance to parents with problem children, and to work with local agencies to provide rehabilitation and in-home counseling services.  Unfortunately, some of the children are held in secure detention or may be adjudicated and committed to detention facilities located throughout the state.  The children who appear in juvenile court must be represented by counsel to assure that their constitutional rights are protected during every step of the process. 

Above with me are pictured two Seminole County Deputies standing in front of the judge’s bench in one of the courtrooms in the Seminole County Juvenile Justice Center.  The facilities are much like those provided for adults in the Criminal Courthouse nearby.