• A juvenile court intake officer or prosecutor determines whether to handle a delinquency case formally or informally. They may decide to dismiss the case for lack of legal sufficiency or to resolve the matter informally. Informal dispositions are voluntary and include referral to a social agency for services, informal probation, or some form of restitution.
• Formal processing involves the filing of a petition requesting that the court hold an adjudicatory or waiver hearing. A waiver hearing could result in the juvenile court waiving its jurisdiction in the case, transferring the matter to criminal court. At an adjudicatory hearing, the youth may be adjudicated (judged) delinquent and the case would proceed to a disposition hearing. If the youth is not adjudicated, the case is generally dismissed but the youth may be asked to take some actions, such as making restitution or voluntarily attending drug counseling, prior to the final adjudication decision.
• The number of formally processed delinquency cases declined 72% between 1997 and 2020. Similarly, the number of informally handled cases decreased 73% during the time period.
• Since 1993, formal cases have accounted for a larger share of the delinquency caseload than informal cases. In 2020, there were 19% more formal than informal delinquency cases.

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