Unique Work
District & Juvenile Court Structure
To meet the needs of the citizens of Utah, the state courts are divided into eight judicial districts. Each houses both District and Juvenile Courts. The state’s three districts with the largest population (2nd, 3rd, and 4th) have separate organizational structures for District and Juvenile Courts.
Nature of District Court Work
It is easy to see why the work of the Judiciary is vital to the public. Courts settle conflicts when more conventional methods fail. The majority of the conflicts that come to the state courts are of the civil variety.
Civil cases include:
Cases where one person or business sues another for redress of private or civil rights (small claims, damage claims, etc.)
Cases that sever marriages and determine child custody and support arrangements. These domestic cases make up more than half of the District Court civil caseload.
About 20 percent of the state court caseloads are criminal, or conflicts between the state and those accused of violating state law. Thus, state cases range from determining child custody to criminal offenses to making important decisions related to elections – and everything in between.
Nature of Juvenile Court Work
The Juvenile Court handles cases involving abused, neglected, or dependent children, as well as cases involving juvenile delinquency. Juvenile Court is unique in its focus on the team approach and problem-solving with an emphasis on assisting families with wraparound services.
Child Welfare: The purpose of Juvenile Court in child protection is to provide care and protection for children and to preserve and strengthen family and community connections. Children and families receive early, intensive family engagement, advocacy, and access to services and supports provided by skilled professionals, including the judiciary, attorneys, child welfare teams, foster parents, and other community partners. The court considers recommendations from all parties in making a determination about the safest and most appropriate placement for a child. Guardian ad Litem attorneys are appointed by the court to represent children in child welfare cases.
Delinquency: The purpose of Juvenile Court in delinquency is to promote public safety and individual accountability, support the development of responsible citizenship, prevent future delinquent behavior by eliciting positive behavior change, and provide services and treatment interventions based on the individual needs of each youth. Most youth who have contact with Juvenile Court for delinquency offenses do not proceed to become adult criminal offenders. The court assists youth in changing behavior and gaining the skills to become productive adults by providing effective case planning using the evidence-based Principles of Effective Intervention. In addition to case planning and interventions, the Juvenile Court provides the work restitution program, mediation services, and other programs aimed at addressing accountability, competency development, and community safety.
