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Juvenile Court

Juvenile Justice Center
3300 NW 27th Ave. Suite # 1000 | Miami, Florida 33142
Telephone: (305) 638-6227 | Business Hours: 9:00am- 4:00 pm

Frequently Asked Questions

The Juvenile Division of the Clerk of Courts for Miami-Dade County handles delinquency and dependency matters. Approximately 15,000 delinquency cases are filed and processed annually. An average of 1,500 dependency petitions, inclusive of substance abuse and termination of parental rights cases are filed on a yearly basis.

The main purpose of the Juvenile Division is to provide judicial support and administer numerous other services to the public, insuring due process through which children and other interested parties are assured fair process by a respectful and respected court or other tribunal; assurance of recognition, protection, and enforcement of their constitutional and other legal rights, while ensuring that the public safety, interest, and the authority and dignity of the courts are adequately protected.

The Clerk's Office Juvenile Court Division is comprised of many facets of operation, including:

• COURT OPERATIONS provides the staff to assist and support the court judiciary and in the maintenance of court records. Presently, there are eight (8) circuit judges, four (4) delinquency judges; four (4) dependency judges; and a General Master. Courtroom and calendar clerks, clerk each session, maintaining the court calendar and the recording of the disposition of juvenile cases. The clerk is the custodian of court documents and of the evidence.
  
  

• SERVICE COUNTER OPERATIONS assists the public and all service partners with their inquiries; accept pleadings; collect fees assessed in court; and perform criminal history checks.

• OFFICE OPERATIONS/FOSTER CARE UNITS are responsible for dispensing information to service partners and other governmental agencies, filing and maintenance of court documents and files related to foster care. The Foster Care section monitors the statutorily required hearings for those children adjudicated dependent and placed in Foster Care. This section also provides support for a General Master and the Foster Care Review Board.

• DATA ENTRY/INTAKE UNITS receive and process all cases that are filed in the Division, generating court calendars, and statistical data. All other units of the Division are guided by this information entered into the system.   It is here that the errors of the system are corrected, case histories documented, court hearings are tracked and case findings are recorded. 

• ATTORNEY SERVICES are provided to court appointed attorneys. One of the more significant services provided within this area of operation is the processing of attorney's fees wherein the court has appointed an attorney to represent a parent or legal guardian only upon a finding that the parent or legal guardian is indigent.

• JUVENILE ASSESSMENT CENTER (JAC) as mandated by the Florida Legislature in 1995, a central processing site for all delinquency youth was opened in January 1998. All agencies concerned with the welfare of the youth of Dade County, from police departments to state and county justice and social service agencies are represented at the JAC. A comprehensive plan for these children who have violated the law has been developed and implemented.  The Juvenile Division of the Clerk's Office is a major participant in this endeavor.