The Juvenile Diversion program is an alternative to prosecuting a case in juvenile court. Juvenile Diversion is an option that the District Attorney may offer to juveniles who have committed a first time offense, which was not violent or drug related in nature. Most often, cases referred to Diversion are a misdemeanor level offense, but some felony offenses are eligible for consideration.
If your case is eligible for the Diversion program, you will receive a letter in the mail from the Diversion Director, requesting that you contact our office to schedule an appointment. You will need to contact the Director within 48 hours of receipt of the letter to schedule an appointment. If you receive the letter on the weekend or receive voicemail when you call, please leave one message and your call will be returned as soon as possible. Appointments are available Monday through Friday between 8:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. So that proper time and consideration may be given to your case, appointments are scheduled to take 2 hours, therefore, the latest appointment time available is 3:00 p.m.
Diversion is typically a 90-day program in which juveniles will be required to complete sanctions in order to avoid prosecution of their case. Juveniles must take full responsibility for their role in the offense. Sanctions may include, but aren’t limited to, community service, classes, counseling or research projects. In addition, juveniles are required to attend school daily, avoid unlawful behavior, abstain from drug and alcohol usage and follow the rules of the home. If the juvenile completes the sanctions and does not receive another law violation within the 90 day time period, the case will not be prosecuted in juvenile court. If the juvenile does not comply with the sanctions as outlined or commits another law violation, the original case will be filed in juvenile court.
Parental involvement is key to children’s success. The Diversion Program will work alongside parents to help divert their child from future criminal behavior. The Diversion Program is not designed to provide intensive supervision to youth who need a high amount of involvement from a professional. If you feel that your child needs someone to be very involved in their life or you need more support than a minimally involved program can provide, the Diversion Program may not be the right fit for your child. We can best serve our youth by getting them into the appropriate level of service at the right time.
