Juvenile Court

The purpose of the Malheur County Juvenile Court is to assure that a minor within the court's jurisdiction is provided with the care and services that best meets his/her needs. The jurisdiction of the Juvenile Court extends both to Dependent and Delinquent matters.

Delinquency

The Juvenile Court has jurisdiction in most cases involving a youth who is under 18 years of age and who has committed an act which is a violation of a law or ordinance. The District Attorney (DA), Attorney General (AG), Juvenile Department, or the Oregon Youth Authority (OYA) may file a petition in the Juvenile court alleging that a youth is within the jurisdiction of the Court.

Dependency

Dependency petitions involve a youth who is under 18 years of age. Situations in which a dependency petition may be filed include a child:

Who is beyond the control of his/her parents;
Who is dependent for the care and support on a public or private child-caring agency;
Whose parents have abandoned, neglected, or abused the child; or
Who has run away from home.

The Department of Human Services (DHS) – Child Welfare hotline number for Malheur County is 1-877-877-5081.

Additional Information

Malheur County Juvenile Dept.