Juvenile domestic relations court services
FY 2024 ANNUAL BUDGET
description
The juvenile and domestic relations district (JDR) court hears all matters involving juveniles such as criminal or traffic matters. Juvenile delinquency cases are cases involving a minor under the age of 18 who has been accused of committing an offense that would be considered criminal if committed by an adult. Other juvenile offenses may be referred to as status offenses. Status offenses are those acts that are unlawful only because they are committed by a minor.
In addition, this court handles other matters involving the family such as custody, support, and visitation. The court also hears family abuse cases, cases where adults have been accused of child abuse or neglect, and criminal cases where the defendant and alleged victim are family or household members.
The JDR courts are district courts, which in Virginia means they are not courts of record and there are no jury trials. All cases are heard and decided by the judge. Parties to a case can appeal the final decisions of the JDR court to the circuit court, which is a court of record and may involve a jury trial.
JDR district courts differ from other courts in their duty to protect the confidentiality and privacy of juveniles and their families who have legal matters before the court. In addition to protecting the public and holding delinquent juveniles accountable, the court considers services needed to provide for rehabilitation. Also, like all other courts in the Commonwealth, protection of victim rights and constitutional safeguards remain the same.
strategic plan goals
Goal (Strategic Plan Goal 3):
Our goal is to perform the duties of this Court as prescribed by statute and policy and by procedures set as guidelines for this Court by the Office of the Executive Secretary of the Supreme Court of Virginia.
Perfomance Measures: Outcomes/Trends
This court is unique in that it handles JDR court cases for two localities: City of Winchester and Frederick County. This court maintains separate caseload statistical reports and financial records for each locality. The chart below depicts only City of Winchester JDR Court statistical information. Frederick County JDR Court statistics are not included. This court has four judges, two which are in Winchester full-time and two in Winchester part-time. On average, this court conducts 11.6 dockets per week.