Criminal cases impacting minors (children under the age of 17) are handled differently than those where adults are arrested. The criminal courts have long recognized that a child’s developing mind is not able to comprehend and appreciate the consequences of certain behaviors. Therefore, for juveniles accused of a criminal offense, the courts focus on education and rehabilitation, rather than strictly punishment. Although delinquency petitions, where criminal offenses are allegedly committed by a child under the age of 17, may be the most common type of case addressed in Juvenile Courts in Georgia, there are actually five types of cases (also known as petitions) addressed in Juvenile Courts:
1. Delinquencies (where a criminal offense is allegedly committed by a child under the age of 17);
2. Unruly/Runaways (where a parent files a petition against a vehemently disobedient child under the age of 18);
3. Truancies (where a school official files a petition, alleging the child refuse to attend school);
4. Deprivations (where Department of Family and Children’s Services (DFACS) investigates whether the parents are providing for the health and welfare of the child); and
5. Termination of the Parental Righs.
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