A historical review of the juvenile court considers the position of children in the 19th century criminal court, the reform movement, and constitutional restraints. The text then defines the juvenile court's jurisdiction over a child's criminal conduct, status offenses, abuse, neglect, dependency, and prosecution of adults in the interests of juveniles. Separate sections describe juvenile court proceedings, with attention to State intervention prior to a hearing, the charging process, waiver to an adult court, discovery, motions to supress, and plea bargains. Areas treated in the discussion of the adjudicatory hearing include due process, right to counsel, appropriate time to hold a hearing, types of trials, privacy and confidentiality, and procedures in uncontested and contested cases. The final sections address implementing the jurisdiction of the juvenile court. The disposition order and selection of dispositional alternatives are examined, as are postdispositional rights, responsibilities, and remedies and permanent termination of parental rights. All discussions are accompanied by relevant cases. A table of cases and an index are supplied.