In criminal law, a juvenile is an adolescent who is not old enough to take responsibility for a crime they are accused of, so they might not be seen in a traditional court, but by a juvenile court. A juvenile delinquent is an adolescent who...
juvenile law
juvenile court
A juvenile court is a court that handles cases involving crimes committed by children, or cases involving the health or welfare of children. Every state has a juvenile system in place. Juvenile courts and their subject matter jurisdiction are...
juvenile delinquent
A juvenile delinquent is a minor who is tried and found guilty of a crime in a juvenile court. Laws can vary, but minors are usually persons under 18 years of age. While minors are typically charged in juvenile court, some offenses are too...
juvenile justice
Juvenile justice is the area of criminal law applicable to persons not old enough to be held fully responsible for criminal acts. In most states, the age for adult criminal culpability is set at 18. In cases of extreme violence or other anti-...
legal age
The legal age is also known as the age of legal majority. This is the age at which a person gains the legal status of an adult. The legal age is set by state law and can differ from state to state. However, almost all states set the base legal age as...
legal custody
Legal custody involves having a legal responsibility for a child and making major decisions regarding the child, including the child's health, education, and religious upbringing: sole legal custody vests this right with one parent...
maturity
The term “maturity” appears in a several of areas of law. The precise definition of maturity varies depending on the context in which it is used. For example:
Regarding a person, maturity generally refers to the age at which a person becomes...minor
In the United States, a minor is any individual under the specified “age of majority” for their state or territory., All states define an age of majority, which is usually set at 18, but states like Indiana and Mississippi set it at 21, while...
orphan
An orphan is a child whose parents have died. The term is sometimes used to describe any person whose parents have died, though this is less common. A child who only has one living parent is also sometimes considered an orphan. For example...
parent
A parent is the mother or father of another person. This relationship can be established naturally, through childbirth. Parenthood can also be established through legal methods. One such method is through adoption, in which a person who is...