About Juvenile Court
Juvenile Court becomes involved with children under the age of 18 whom:
- Do not obey their parents, school officials, or other custodians
- Do not attend school, who violate curfew, who consume alcohol and/or use drugs
- Commit violations of traffic laws
- Commit criminal acts
- Children who are victims of abuse, neglect, or dependency
- And whose circumstances require orders of paternity, visitation, and child support
The Court also hears cases of adults who contribute to the unruliness or delinquency of a minor. Mercer County Juvenile Court assists to provide for safe and appropriate homes to the children of Mercer County. The Juvenile Court handles paternity, child support, and child custody and visitation cases.
The Court protects the interests and rights of the children of the county and the public by rehabilitating and holding youth and their families accountable for their actions. The Court attempts to strengthen the family as a whole and empower the parents to provide the balance, structure, supervision, and responsibility so that their children will develop the self-control and independence needed to become self-sufficient, confident, and law-abiding adults.
The Court receives referrals from parents, school officials, law enforcement, Children Services representatives, counselors, and the Prosecutors office.
The Court provides a range of community based, residential treatment and prevention services to the families that appear in Court. This report is designed to assist you to understand the children and youth that the Court serves and give you an overview of the services that were provided.