Juvenile Court Prosecutors
In July of 1996, the jurisdiction for prosecuting juvenile offenders (generally, those individuals under age 18) was transferred to the Division of Criminal Justice. This was the last component of the prosecutorial system in Connecticut to be transferred from the Judicial Branch of state government to the Executive Branch.
In Connecticut, the Superior Court for Juvenile Matters has jurisdiction over juveniles accused of delinquent acts. Delinquents are persons who, prior to their 18th birthdays, have violated or attempted to violate any state law, order of the Superior Court, or any local or municipal ordinance.
The purpose of Juvenile Court is to rehabilitate more than punish. Although the same elements of the criminal statutes apply to both adults and juveniles, in most cases juveniles are subject to different procedures and sanctions than adults. The exception to the above involves the transfer of juveniles to the adult criminal court for serious offenses specified by law. Furthermore, juveniles are required to appear at the appropriate juvenile court based on where they live, rather than the court where the delinquent act occurred.
Juvenile Matters Courts are located in 10 municipalities and include the following towns and cities: