Office of the DeKalb County District Attorney

Stone Mountain Judicial Circuit

Sherry Boston, District Attorney

Terminology

Adjudication 
Hearing held to determine the facts of the case and an appropriate course of action.

Commitment

When a juvenile is committed in Juvenile Court, that means the juvenile is under probation with  the Department of Juvenile Justice.

Community Schools
Community schools are non-residential, community-based alternative schools for delinquent and unruly offenders.

Designated Felony Charges 
A level of Felony under the Juvenile Code where a juvenile can be detained for upwards of five years. 

Informal Adjustment
Disposition of a case where the act is not serious in nature and appears appropriate for non-adjudicatory courses of action. 

Intensive Supervision Programs 
To minimize out-of-home placements and provide daily contact.
  Mediation
Where both parties sit down and try to work out any differences without formal adjudication. 

Short Term Treatment Program (STTP)
Refers to juvenile proceedings, and states ”…the court may, in addition to any other treatment or rehabilitation, order a child to serve up to a maximum of 90 days in a youth development center…”

Non-Secure Detention
The Community Detention Program provides a non-secure alternative to detention in a Regional Youth Detention Center. 

Regional Youth Detention Center
Centers that provide temporary, secure care, and supervision of youth who are charged with / found guilty of crimes.

Specialized Residential Services
These youth require either long-term residential placement or specialized treatment services for mental health care.

Victim Impact Statement
A statement that gives the victim the opportunity to put into writing how they were affected by the crime that was committed against them. This form will remain in the District Attorney’s Office and can be read aloud in court by the victim, a DA’s Office Victim Advocate or the Judge.

Wrap-Around Services
Services provided for those youth returning home.