Which term describes a formal finding by the court that a juvenile has delinquent acts?

• A. Juvenile adjudication
• B. Jurisdiction
• C. Juvenile inmate
• D. Maximum custody grade

Answer: (A)

In juvenile court, the formal finding that a juvenile has committed delinquent acts is called an adjudication. This is the court’s determination, after a hearing, that the juvenile did engage in conduct that, if done by an adult, would be a crime. It’s the juvenile system’s equivalent of a conviction, though the focus remains on rehabilitation and future disposition rather than punishment alone. After adjudication, the court moves to a disposition, which decides the specific supervision, services, or confinement the juvenile will receive.

Jurisdiction refers to the court’s authority to hear and decide a case, not the finding itself. A juvenile inmate is simply a person in custody. Maximum custody grade is a custody level, not a court finding.