The Juvenile Court Process for Detention Residents

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In Lancaster County, there are only two authoritative entities that can place a juvenile into detention. They are, a Judge of the Lancaster County Court, or a probation officer from the Office of Juvenile Probation & Parole. In both cases, the juvenile must meet the detention standards outlined in the Juvenile Act of the Juvenile Court Judges’ Commission (JCJC).

A Judge can remand a juvenile from the bench during a court hearing or issue a bench warrant for a juvenile to be detained. The juvenile will remain detained until further court action is taken.

A Juvenile Probation Officer can refer a juvenile to detention if the juvenile meets the standards of detention as outlined in the Juvenile Act. A Juvenile Court Detention Master will review all referrals to detention by a juvenile probation officer within 72 hours of a juvenile’s admission.  This is called a Detention Hearing. Juvenile Court Detention Masters are court-appointed attorneys who preside over Detention Hearings to determine whether the facts of the allegations against the juvenile warrant detention, based on the juvenile’s threat to themselves or the community. All decisions made by Juvenile Court Detention Masters are reviewed by a Lancaster County Judge for final approval.

If a juvenile is remanded at their Detention Hearing, they must have an Adjudication Hearing within ten days from the juvenile’s admission date into detention (twenty days if they are awaiting their Disposition Hearing).

At the Adjudication Hearing, a juvenile will either admit or deny the allegations that have been brought against them. If a juvenile admits to the charges, their detention status will be reviewed. If the juvenile is remanded back to detention, they will have their Disposition Hearing within twenty days.  If the juvenile denies the allegations, they will be given a trial at the Adjudication Hearing.  If the juvenile is found to have committed the offense, their detention status will be reviewed.  If the juvenile is remanded back to detention, they will have their Disposition Hearing within twenty days.   

At the Disposition Hearing, a juvenile will be sentenced to placement, probation, community service, or pay fines and costs.  At this time, their detention status will be reviewed again.  If the juvenile is remanded back to detention, they will remain in detention until their release to placement.  A juvenile’s detention status will be reviewed every thirty days, while they await placement.