juvenile court

noun

1. a law court having jurisdiction over youths, generally of less than 18 years.

juvenile court

noun

1. the former name for youth court

Word History and Origins

Origin of juvenile court¹

An Americanism dating back to 1895–1900

Example Sentences

In California, 12 is the minimum age at which a minor can be held criminally responsible for charges in juvenile court.

From Los Angeles Times

She’s all but doomed to be bourgeois and neurotic, as if a juvenile court has sentenced her to live in a New Yorker cartoon.

From Los Angeles Times

In California, a 15-year-old charged with murder must be tried in juvenile court.

From Los Angeles Times

A Santa Cruz Superior Court judge sought to transfer the case out of the juvenile court system, arguing that the law was unconstitutional, but the California State Supreme Court upheld the law in 2021.

From Los Angeles Times

While Hochman said he would seek to prosecute more juveniles as adults while running for office last year, teens under the age of 16 must remain in juvenile court under California law.

From Los Angeles Times