Probation Adjustment - Court Diversion
Pursuant
to 705 ILCS 405/5-305, the State's Attorney's Office may authorize a juvenile
probation officer to schedule a preliminary conference with a minor who is
alleged to have committed an offense, his or her parent/guardian, the victim,
the referring police officer, and any other interested persons to determine if
the matter can be handled without the filing of a petition.
A
preliminary conference is an opportunity for a minor who has been arrested to
have their case handled without formal court involvement. During a
preliminary conference, the probation officer will discuss the details of the
offense with the minor and their parent/guardian(s). If the minor takes
responsibility for their behavior and agrees to abide by a Probation Adjustment
Plan, the minor will be placed on Informal Supervision with a Probation
Officer. The period of Informal Supervision can last up to 12
months.
At the end of Informal Supervision, if all conditions of
the Probation Adjustment planned have been fulfilled, the minor will be
satisfactorily terminated, and their case will be closed without court
involvement. Should the minor be rearrested while on the Informal
Supervision or fail to complete all of their conditions set forth in the
adjustment plan, the matter will be referred to the States Attorney’s Office
where a Delinquency Petition may be filed in Juvenile Court.
See KAH and JJC tabs in the left column for more
information.