FAQs
In most circumstances, you will receive a letter scheduling you and your son/daughter for an appointment with an assessment counselor. The assessment counselor will gather information and make a determination of whether or not the case can be resolved informally or if it requires Court action.
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A youth may be detained before adjudication, if one or more of the following conditions exist:
- Fugitive - the youth is a fugitive from another jurisdiction, and/or an out of state runaway.
- Serious crimes - The youth is alleged to have committed a crime involving:
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Physical injury to another person
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Disorderly conduct in the first degree
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A felony
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Failure to appear - The youth previously failed to appear, despite proper summons, citation, or subpoena.
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Probation violation - The youth is on probation for a criminal offense and is alleged to have violated a condition of probation.
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Conditional release - The youth is on conditional release for a criminal offense and has violated a condition.
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Firearm/Destructive Device - The youth is alleged to be in possession of a firearm (ORS 166.250). When probable cause exists that a youth was in possession of a firearm or destructive device (ORS 419c.100) while in or on a public building or court facility within the last 120 days, the youth must be detained for a hearing in front of the court.
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Protection of the victim - The youth is required to be held in detention for the reasonable protection of the victim.
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No less restrictive means can reasonably ensure appearance
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Youth's behavior endangers self, others, or the community.
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Juvenile Counselors supervise the youth. They make sure the conditions of probation are met and provide services to reduce the chances that the youth will commit another offense.
They work to build strong families, good school performance, and constructive activities with positive friends. These items provide the best chances of avoiding criminal behavior.
Home Detention provides daily monitoring, supervision and crisis intervention for youth and their families. Youth involved have rules they must follow to remain in their homes and community.
This program provides 24-hour monitoring and supervision of youth assigned to the program. We use House Arrest, Home Detention and Electronic Monitoring (HA, HD & EM).
Please see the
After you have contacted the school to get assistance, you may then call and speak with an assessment counselor. They may be able to give you recommendations or refer you to other resources. You can find more information on the Truancy Court Page.
It is one possible indication of gang activity in your area. Through graffiti, gangs are giving notice of their presence and activity. Graffiti is how gangs communicate and tell others that the area is visited by a particular gang.
Notify your local law enforcement agency so that they can take a report and photograph the graffiti. This enables law enforcement to monitor gang graffiti.
Probation is usually imposed by a judge without a definite time for it to end -- the reason for this is to place responsibility on the youth. Six months to two years is a common period of probation. The length of time depends on the nature of the offense, the need for supervision, and the youth’s progress in complying with conditions and meeting goals.
The goals are to prevent new offenses; restore victims and the community; and build success of youth in their family, school, and circle of friends. The conditions of probation are designed to help achieve those goals and often include:
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Avoiding further violations of the law
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Avoiding alcohol and drugs
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Restitution to victims
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Community service work
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Attending school and performing well
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Reporting regularly to the probation counselor
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Learning new skills that make future crime less likely
Emancipation means that a 16- or 17-year-old person can be given certain rights and responsibilities of an adult or 18-year-old person. This decision must be made by a judge.
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Applicants complete the application for Emancipation available at the Washington County Juvenile Department, 222 N First Avenue in Hillsboro. The application must be signed in front of a Notary Public, which is available at the Juvenile Department. You must provide a government issued identification with a photo, such as a Driver’s License, state issued ID or a passport to obtain notarization, a school issued identification is not sufficient.
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Upon submitting the application, a case number will be assigned. Applicants then pay a nonrefundable filing fee of $281 to the Court Accounting Department located at 150 N First Avenue in Hillsboro – in the first floor of the Justice Services Building. You will be given a receipt showing proof of payment.
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Applicants then return to the Juvenile Department and a preliminary hearing before the Court will be set within ten judicial days from the date the application is filed with the Court. You must bring the receipt showing payment of the fee or a hearing will not be scheduled.
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Applicants must notify parents of the preliminary hearing’s date and time.
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A decision may be made at the preliminary hearing if the applicant waives a final hearing and if the parents are present and agree to waive the final hearing.
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If a final hearing is required, the time from the filing of the application until decision will not exceed sixty days. The final hearing will occur even if parents do not appear.
If the Court grants the emancipation, a driver’s identification card must be received within 48 hours.
No. We do not release police records for any reason. Contact the police department initiated the records for report information.
If you sign a release, we will release the information according to Oregon Law. The following information may be released if a Formal Accountability Agreement is in place or you were found guilty by the Court:
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Adjudications if not vacated
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Dispositions such as Formal Accountability Agreement or probation
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Dates of dispositions and dismissals
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Conditional postponement
Information may not be released if you do not have a Formal Accountability Agreement or have not been found guilty by the Court.
The clerk of Court keeps records of all proceedings in Juvenile Court. Records of a youth’s history are confidential unless permission is given by the youth, their parents, or the judge and a signed Release of Information is in place.
Expunction is the formal Court process for the destruction of a juvenile's records.
Juveniles who have records with the Juvenile Department may apply for expunction of their records by completing an Application for Expunction. The following conditions must be met:
- At least four years have passed since the date of the termination (dismissal) of your most recent juvenile court case; and since the date of your most recent termination, you have not been convicted of a felony or a Class A misdemeanor; and no proceedings seeking a criminal conviction or an adjudication in a juvenile court are pending against you; and you are not within the jurisdiction of the court for any delinquent act or certain types of dependency petitions; and the Juvenile Department is not aware of any pending investigation of you by any law enforcement agency.
- The person is at least 18 years old and has never been found within the jurisdiction of the Court.
- If neither of the above conditions have been met, the Juvenile Court has authority to have a record expunged, if it finds it to be in the best interest of the person and the public.
Oregon law provides for certain records to be destroyed. See Oregon Revised Statute Chapter 419A for the complete statute that governs expunction of a juvenile record. You may obtain an application for expunction from the Juvenile Department.
As a crime victim in Oregon, your right to justice includes the right to a meaningful role in the juvenile justice process, to be treated with dignity and respect, to fair and impartial treatment and to reasonable protection from the youth offender or alleged youth offender.
Crime victims’ rights in the juvenile justice system apply to the victim of an offense as well as to the parent or legal guardian of a minor victim.
Many victims’ rights are automatic although you may need to inform the Juvenile Department or District Attorney’s Office that you want to receive them. Other rights must be requested.
Examples of automatic rights are:
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To attend open court proceedings.
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To have a support person with you.
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To restitution for your crime related costs. You must provide documentation of your loss to the court.
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To get a copy of a transcript or recording of open court proceedings of one is already made. You may be charged for the transcript or recording.
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To have your personal identifiers protected from a youth offender or alleged youth offender. These include your phone number, address, social security number, date of birth, bank account and credit card account numbers.
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To refuse to speak to an attorney or private investigator for the youth offender or alleged youth offender.
Examples of requested rights are:
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To be notified in advance of any hearing held in open court.
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To get certain criminal history about the youth offender or alleged youth offender.
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To be consulted about any plea offer made by the State in a violent felony case.
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To be heard at a detention, shelter, or disposition (sentencing) hearing.
Many other rights may apply to your case. For more information, please see the Oregon Department of Justice Victim Rights.
We attempt to contact all identified victims by phone or in writing. Because the confidentiality laws are very strict for juveniles, we may not be able to share as much information as you would like. We will do our best to inform you as much as the law allows.
You also have the right to tell us what your safety concerns are, what the harm to you or your family has been, and what you would like to see happen. We will share this information with the Juvenile Counselor supervising the youth. In court cases we will share the information with the Deputy District Attorney.
No. In fact, most cases do not go to court. Victim Services will notify you if your case does go to court and you’ve requested to be notified of hearings.
Victims have the legal right to attend all hearings held in open court but are not required to unless you receive a subpoena which orders you to do so. Attending hearings is often the most effective way to stay as informed as possible about the case and the how youth is doing.
Please notify Victim Services as soon as possible to report the unwanted contact. It is helpful to have the details of the unwanted contact such as who, when, where, what happened, etc. The information you report will be shared with the youth’s assigned Juvenile Counselor and/or the District Attorney’s Office. If you or your child feel threatened, contact your local law enforcement agency first, then Victim Services.
You can request that the youth pay you back for certain expenses if they were directly caused by the incident in the police report. When you send in your restitution request, please include copies of receipts or other documentation if possible.
Typically, youth who are required to pay restitution do so by making monthly payments.
Restitution deadlines and rules in juvenile cases are different than in adult cases. Please contact us if you need help with your request or documentation.
The Juvenile Department partners with the Beaverton Center for Mediation and Dialogue to offer Restorative Dialogue for eligible cases. Restorative Dialogue provides victims and youth an opportunity to meet face to face in a safe space and with trained facilitators. Victims can share the impact of the offense, ask the youth questions, and have a voice in determining how the youth might be held accountable. Restorative Dialogue is a voluntary program. For more information, please contact Victim Services.
No, but your situation may allow you to apply for a “stalking order” against a juvenile. More information on stalking orders can be found below: