A juvenile delinquent is a child who has been found guilty of an offense that if committed by an adult would be a crime. Juvenile delinquency is the equivalent of an adult conviction. This does not include traffic offenses.
For example, if an adult steals a shirt from the store, and the court determines that the adult committed the act, the adult is “adjudicated guilty” and “convicted” of the crime. If a child goes into the same store, steals the same shirt and the court finds they committed the act, the child is “adjudicated delinquent.”
Posted in: Juvenile
