(a) Delinquency, child in need of supervision, and dependency cases and proceedings pursuant to Section probation or aftercare; disposition of these children” class=”unlinked-ref” datatype=”S” sessionyear=”2020″ statecd=”AL” title=”12″>12-15-132 before the juvenile court shall be initiated by the filing of a petition by the juvenile court intake officer who shall receive verified complaints and proceed thereon pursuant to rules of procedure adopted by the Supreme Court of Alabama.

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Terms Used In Alabama Code 12-15-120

  • Dependent: A person dependent for support upon another.
  • Jurisdiction: (1) The legal authority of a court to hear and decide a case. Concurrent jurisdiction exists when two courts have simultaneous responsibility for the same case. (2) The geographic area over which the court has authority to decide cases.
  • Probation: A sentencing alternative to imprisonment in which the court releases convicted defendants under supervision as long as certain conditions are observed.
  • Venue: The geographical location in which a case is tried.
(b) A petition alleging that a child is a delinquent child, dependent child, or a child in need of supervision shall not be filed by a juvenile court intake officer unless the juvenile court intake officer has determined and endorsed upon the petition that the juvenile court has subject matter jurisdiction and venue over the case and that the filing of the petition is in the best interests of the public and the child.