Every Alabama county has a juvenile court. Juvenile court jurisdiction may be exercised by the district or circuit court. There are no jury trials in juvenile court.
Juvenile courts exercise jurisdiction over children and, in some instances, minors and adults.
Cases involving children heard before the juvenile court include allegations that a child is delinquent, dependent, or in need of supervision. A dependent is a child who is orphaned, neglected, or abused and in need of care. There are some cases which the juvenile court cannot hear even if the individual is under the age of 18. Any individual, including a law enforcement officer, parent, relative, or neighbor, who has knowledge that a juvenile has committed a delinquent act, is in need of supervision, or is dependent may file a complaint with the juvenile court. The intake officer will also notify the parents of the child's whereabouts if the child is detained.