Formal processing involves the filing of a petition requesting an adjudicatory or waiver hearing.
Informal cases, on the other hand, are handled without a petition. Among property offense cases, the proportion of cases processed formally was just over half. Intake decisions varied among each of the four major offense categories. A detailed analysis of referral offenses showed that the likelihood of formal handling was greater for more serious offenses within the same general offense category. The change in the proportion of cases formally processed varied across offenses.