Juvenile

The purpose of the Jackson County Juvenile court is to assure that a minor within the court’s jurisdiction is provided with the care and services that best meets his/her needs. The jurisdiction of the Juvenile Court extends both to Dependent and Delinquent matters.

Delinquency

The Juvenile Court has jurisdiction in most cases involving a youth who is under 18 years of age and who has committed an act which is a violation of a law or ordinance. The District Attorney (DA), Attorney General (AG), Juvenile Department, or the Oregon Youth Authority (OYA) may file a petition in the Juvenile court alleging that a youth is within the jurisdiction of the Court.

Information regarding the Juvenile Delinquency Court process is available at the Jackson County Juvenile Department website.

Dependency

Dependency petitions involve a youth who is under 18 years of age. Situations in which a dependency petition may be filed include a child:

Who is beyond the parental control;
Who is dependent for the care and support on a public or private child-caring agency;
Whose parents have abandoned, neglected, or abused the child; or
Who has run away from home

The Juvenile Court has prepared a free, downloadable Juvenile Dependency Handbook to assist parents with the Dependency process. (Manual de casos de dependencia de menores en Español)

Any person may file a petition in the Juvenile court alleging that a child is within the jurisdiction of the Court, although petitions are usually filed by the Department of Human Services (DHS) – Child Welfare. The DHS Hotline number for Jackson County is 1-866-840-2741.

Additional Information:

Contact the Jackson County Juvenile Clerk’s Office at 541-776-7171 ext. 35040