Juvenile Court

About the Juvenile Court

Juvenile Court is part of the Family Division of the 20th Circuit Court and represents the largest sector of the Court in respect to staff and budget. The court is responsible for management of delinquency cases and oversight of neglect/abuse (NA) cases. Although the court is obligated to remand NA cases to the care and supervision of the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS), it retains jurisdiction over them.

The Juvenile Court is responsible for the legal resolution of delinquency cases, protecting public safety, and the rehabilitation of youth under court jurisdiction. Also, it is required to address the needs of youth who may be truant, incorrigible or who have run away from home, otherwise known as status offenders. The court offers an extensive continuum of evidence based and promising practice, community-based, and residential services to address the needs of court-involved children at all levels.

The Ottawa County Juvenile Detention Center is also under the administrative responsibility of the Juvenile Court and is a significant part of the continuum of services offered. The Center is a 24/7 operation which is the only American Correctional Association accredited juvenile detention center in Michigan. The Center houses up to 40 juvenile offenders from Ottawa County and other counties who rent beds or seek treatment in the programs housed within the facility when capacity allows.