Family Court

Our Family Court office, often referred to as Juvenile Court, handles matters in which children are alleged to be delinquent, dependent or in need of supervision. It is a separate facility from the Criminal Justice Center and is located at 120 2nd Court North, Birmingham, AL 35204.

A delinquent is a child under the age of 18 who has committed an offense which, if the individual were an adult, would be considered a crime. A dependent is a child who is orphaned, neglected, or abused and in need of care. A Child in Need of Supervision (CHINS) is one who has committed an act which, if that child were an adult, would not be considered a crime but is in need of care or rehabilitation, such as one who is habitually truant, disobedient to parents, or is a runaway.

Proceedings in juvenile court, along with juvenile court records, are confidential (not open to the public). Any trials in juvenile court are held in front of a judge. There are no jury trials in juvenile court.