What is a petition?

Only the County Attorney has the authority to send a juvenile case to court by filing a petition. A petition initiates the formal court hearing process by requiring the juvenile and his/her parent/guardian to attend formal hearings before the court to answer the allegations located in the petition. The County Attorney determines which allegations to include in the petition based on the evidence and elements of the alleged act. If a juvenile is taken to detention and held, the filing of a petition must occur within 24 hours of admission to the detention facility (Rule 24B in the Arizona Rules of the Court). When the juvenile is not detained, the petition must be filed within 45 days of receipt of the referral unless time is waived an additional 30 days for further investigation.

Show All Answers

1. What is the jurisdiction of the Juvenile Court?
2. What is a delinquent act?
3. What is an incorrigible act?
4. How does a juvenile get referred to the Court?
5. What is diversion?
6. What is a petition?
7. What is a dismissal?
8. What is the Probation Officer’s role?
9. What is Standard Probation?
10. What is Juvenile Intensive Probation Supervision (JIPS)?
11. What is the Arizona Department of Juvenile Corrections (ADJC)?
12. How do I get my juvenile records destroyed?