Juvenile

Juvenile Services

The Lake County Prosecutor’s Office Juvenile Division prosecutes all felony and misdemeanor cases against juveniles who commit offenses when they are under the age of 18 years. Juveniles can be charged with juvenile delinquency, unruliness, and contested traffic cases, as well as specific adult misdemeanor cases against those who have contributed to the delinquency of a minor.

The Lake County Prosecutor’s Office also represents the Lake County Department of Job and Family Services Department in all child abuse, dependency and neglect cases. If you have reason to believe that a child is being abused on neglected in any way, please call 440-350-4000 to be connected to the Children’s Services Hotline.

The Lake County Juvenile Court is located at 153 East Erie Street, Painesville, OH 44077.

If you have reason to believe that a child is being neglected or abused
in any way, please call 440-350-4000 to be connected to the
Children’s Services Hotline.

Link to Lake County Juvenile Court Website
http://www.lakecountyohio.org/judicial/juven1.htm

Link to Job and Family Services Website
http://www.lakecountyohio.org/hservices/index.htm#CS

(These links will open in a new window)

Child Neglect

A neglected child includes any child:

1. 1) Who is abandoned by his parents, guardian or custodian;
    
2. Who lacks adequate parental care because of the faults or habits of his parents, guardian or custodian;
    
3. Whose parents, guardian or custodian neglects or refuses to provide him with proper or necessary subsistence, education, medical or surgical care, or treatment or other care necessary for the child’s health, morals or well-being;
    
4. Whose parents, guardians or custodians neglects the child or refuses to provide the special care made necessary by the child’s mental condition;
    
5. Whose parents, legal guardian or custodian have placed or attempted to place such child in violation of Sections 5103.16 and 5103.17 of the Ohio Revised Code.
    
6. Who because of the omission of his parents, guardian or custodian suffers physical or mental injury that harms or threatens to harm the child’s health or welfare;
    
7. Who is subjected to out-of-home care child neglect.

If you have reason to believe that a child is being neglected in any way, please call 440–350–4000 to be connected to the Children’s Services Hotline.

Child Abuse

An Abused Child includes any child:

1. Who is the victim of sexual activity as defined under Chapter 2907 of the Ohio Revised Code, where such activity would constitute an offense under that chapter, except that the court need not find any person has been convicted of the offense in order to find that the child is an abused child.
    
2. Who is endangered as defined in Section 2919.22 of the Ohio Revised Code, except that the court need not find that any person has been convicted of the offense in order to find that the child is an abused child.
    
3. Who exhibits evidence of any physical or mental injury or death, inflicted other than by accidental means, or an injury or death which is at variance with the history given.
    
4. Who because of the acts of his parents, guardian or custodian suffers physical or mental injury that harms or threatens to harm the child’s health or welfare.
    
5. Who is subjected to out-of-home care child abuse.

If you have reason to believe that a child is being abused in any way, please call 440-350-4000 to be connected to the Children’s Services Hotline.

Dependent Children

A dependent child includes any child:

1. Who is homeless or destitute, or without adequate parental care or support through no fault of his parents, guardian or custodian;
    
2. Who lacks adequate parental care or support by reason of the mental or physical condition of his parents, guardian or custodian;
    
3. Whose condition or environment is such as to warrant the State, in the interests of the child, in assuming his guardianship;

If the child is residing in a household in which a parent, or other member of the household, committed an act that was the basis for an adjudication that a sibling, or any other child who resides in the household, is an abused, neglected or dependent child, and because of the circumstances surrounding the abuse, neglect or dependency of the sibling or other child, and the other conditions in the household, the child is in danger of being abused or neglected by that parent, or other member of the household, the child may be found to be dependent.

If you have reason to believe that a child may be dependent, please call 440-350-4000 to be connected to the Children’s Services Hotline.

Delinquents

A delinquent child includes any child who violates a law or ordinance which would be a crime if committed by an adult. A child is also a delinquent if he/she is habitually or chronically truent, or if he/she violates a lawful order of the Juvenile Court.

Juvenile Traffic Offender

A juvenile traffic offender includes any child under the age of 18 who violates a traffic law, traffic ordinance, or traffic regulation of the State.

Unruly

The term unruly covers status offenses – i.e. conduct that does not apply to adults. Examples include:

1. any child who does not submit to the reasonable control of the child’s parents, teachers, guardian or custodian by reason of being wayward or habitually disobedient; or
    
2. any child who is habitually truant from school; or,
    
3. any child who behaves in such a manner as to injure or endanger his or her health or morals, or the health or morals of others; or, 4) any child who violates a law that is applicable only to a child.