If a defendant is under 18 years old at the time of a non-chapter 20 crime, which court will they go to?

• A. Superior Court
• B. Court of Appeals
• C. Juvenile Court
• D. District Court

Answer: (C)

The main idea is juvenile jurisdiction: when someone is under 18 at the time of the offense, the case typically goes to a court that handles youths. Juvenile Court is designed for minors, focusing on rehabilitation, privacy, and age-appropriate procedures. For a non-chapter 20 crime, there isn’t an automatic path to adult criminal court, so the case sits in Juvenile Court by default. There are exceptions where a judge can transfer a minor to adult court for very serious offenses, but those are not the usual route. The other courts handle mostly adult cases or appeals, so they aren’t the standard venue for a person under 18.