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HomeWelfare and Institutions CodeDiv. 2Pt. 1Ch. 2Art. 14§ 603 Juvenile Court Jurisdiction Requirement

§ 603 Juvenile Court Jurisdiction Requirement

Welfare and Institutions Code·California
AI Summary·Official Text·Key Terms·Related Statutes·References
AI SummaryVerified

§ 603 Juvenile Court Jurisdiction Requirement

Key Takeaways

  • •If a kid under 18 is accused of a crime, the case usually starts in juvenile court, not adult court.
  • •The juvenile court decides if the kid should be tried as an adult.
  • •Some serious crimes can skip juvenile court and go straight to adult court.

Example

A 17-year-old gets caught stealing a car.

The case will first go to juvenile court. The judge there will decide if the teen should be tried as a kid or sent to adult court. If it's a really bad crime, like hurting someone badly, the case might go straight to adult court.

AI-generated — May contain errors. Not legal advice. Always verify source.

Official Source
View on CA.gov

§ 603 Juvenile Court Jurisdiction Requirement

(a) No court shall have jurisdiction to conduct a preliminary examination or to try the case of any person upon an accusatory pleading charging that person with the commission of a public offense or crime when the person was under the age of 18 years at the time of the alleged commission thereof unless the matter has first been submitted to the juvenile court by petition as provided in Article 7 (commencing with Section 650), and the juvenile court has made an order directing that the person be prosecuted under the general law. (b) This section shall not apply in any case involving a minor against whom a complaint may be filed directly in a court of criminal jurisdiction pursuant to Section 707.01. (Amended by Stats. 1996, Ch. 481, Sec. 1. Effective January 1, 1997.)

Last verified: January 23, 2026

Key Terms

crimecommissionoffensejurisdictionprosecutionexaminationpetition

Related Statutes

  • § 606 Juvenile Court Criminal Exemption
  • § 204.5 Minor Name Disclosure Rules
  • § 602 Juvenile Court Jurisdiction
  • § 604 Juvenile Court Transfer Procedure
  • § 605 Juvenile Court Statute Suspension

References

  • Official text at leginfo.legislature.ca.gov
  • California Legislature. Welfare and Institutions Code. Section 603.
View Official Source