The Juvenile Division of the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office files approximately 30,000 petitions against juvenile offenders each year. Approximately 27% of offenses committed by juveniles were categorized as serious felonies. In "fitness" hearings, 80% of these juvenile defendants were found "unfit" to be tried in Juvenile Court and were bound over to Criminal Court to be heard proceedings as an adult.
| Court | Address |
|---|---|
| Alfred J. McCourtney Juvenile Justice Center | 1040 West Avenue J, Lancaster 93534 |
| Eastlake Juvenile Court | 1601 Eastlake Avenue, Los Angeles 90033 |
| Inglewood Juvenile Court | 110 East Regent Street, Inglewood 90301 |
| Sylmar Juvenile Court | 16350 Filbert Street, Sylmar 91342 |
In addition, informal juvenile and traffic courts hear juvenile offense cases throughout the Los Angeles County Superior Court system.
The David V. Kenyon Juvenile Justice Center was closed in 2013 and Los Padrinos Juvenile Court was closed in 2019.
The Office of the Public Defender represents approximately 65-70% of minors who charged with offenses in Los Angeles County. Others are represented by panel attorneys or attorneys contracted for services in the Eastlake, Compton, Sylmar and Pomona Juvenile Courts.
Approximately 2,000 to 2,200 Los Angeles County juvenile defendants are held in custody at one of three Juvenile Halls (Eastlake, Los Padrinos and San Fernando Valley) where they await further court action or transfer to another facility. Los Angeles County Deputy Probation Officers are responsible for the custody and transport of minor defendants. The Sheriff's Department receives custody of those minors determined to be "unfit" for Juvenile Court and ordered housed at County Jail. Not all "unfit" minors, however, are housed in County Jail.
The Los Angeles County Probation Department oversees 19 camps with a bed capacity for 2,125 minors. The average length of time spent in these camps is 23.8 weeks. The average age at the camps is 15.7 years. Ethnic percentages at the camps is approximately 56% Hispanic; 29% African American and the remaining 15% are of various other ethnicities. Before being placed in the appropriate camp, minors are housed at one of the Juvenile Halls. The Dorothy Kirby Center provides treatment for emotionally disturbed youths.
More than 2,000 minors are removed from their homes to reside in what are determined to be the appropriate facilities. Some of these facilities may be foster or group homes, if those are seen as the appropriate setting to best ease a transition back into the home and community.
