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The first stage of preliminary processing in Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court begins when a person (a private citizen, a law enforcement officer, or a social worker) reports that a juvenile has committed a delinquent act. 

If the Intake Officer decides not to divert the case, a decision must be made whether to take the child into custody.
If the police are contacted, the officer decides whether an offense has occurred and whether the child should be taken into custody and brought before an Intake Officer.  A private citizen would contact the Intake Officer in the Court Services Unit at the juvenile court to report a delinquent act.  The Intake Officer may decide not to pursue the case further and divert the case from the juvenile justice system altogether.         

An interview with the child is usually conducted in order to determine whether a formal petition should be filed and whether the juvenile should be released until a full hearing on the matter is conducted.  The Intake Officer has the discretion to proceed with the case informally or formally. 

The Intake Officer will often proceed "informally" and not file a petition when the allegations against the child are not very serious, the child does not have a prior delinquency record, or when services such as counseling, testing, or treatment can be found to respond to the child's needs without resort to full legal proceedings. 

If the case is not handled informally, the Intake Officer will proceed "formally" and file a petition against the juvenile.  The child then will either be released to the custody of his parents or guardian or will be held in a detention home pending the outcome of a full detention hearing.  At this stage of the case, a probation officer is usually assigned to monitor the child through the final disposition of the case.  Also, an initial decision is made regarding whether the court must appoint an attorney for the child.

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