General Information
The Birmingham Juvenile Intake office is staffed with six juvenile probation officers that have been sworn as magistrates. Their statutory function is to initiate juvenile cases according to the Alabama Rules of Juvenile Procedure, but they also receive criminal complaints and assist the public in filing of civil petitions
Juvenile Proceedings.
Juvenile cases are in the matter of a "child" or "minor" as these terms are defined by the Alabama Juvenile Justice Act ( § 12-15-1 through 12-15-601). A magistrate according to Alabama Rules of Juvenile Procedure, Rule 12, must initiate every juvenile case. The magistrate receives and evaluates juvenile complaints similarly to criminal complaints and determines whether a petition will be filed to initiate a case before the court. Code, § 12-15-120. The following are various types of juvenile cases:
§ Delinquent, where a child is alleged to have committed a crime. Code, § 12-15-114(a)).
§ Dependent, where a child is alleged to be subjected to abuse, neglect, or inadequate care. Code, § 12-15-114(a)
§ Child in need of supervision, where a child is alleged to have committed a juvenile status offense. Code, § 12-15-114(a)
§ Judicial consent for a child
§ Interstate Compact on Juveniles, for interstate placement of delinquent children or the return of juvenile interstate runaways, escapees or absconders. Code, § 12-15-114(c) (1) & 44-2-1 el seq.
§ Involuntary commitment of a child or minor to the Alabama Department of Mental Health and Mental Retardation. Code, §§ 12-15-115(a) (3) & 12-15-90.
§ Termination of parental rights to a child. Code, § 12-15-114(c) (2) & 26-18-1 el seq.
§ Emergency removal or medical treatment for a child. Code, §12-15-115(b) (I) Violation of a child
Criminal Proceedings.
The magistrates of the Intake Office receive criminal complaints and issue warrants for the following misdemeanor offenses under the jurisdiction of Family Court:
§ Violation of the Alabama Juvenile Justice Act. Code, § 12-15-116(l).
§ Desertion and non-support. Code, § 12-15-116(a) (4).
§ Violation of the compulsory school attendance laws- Code, § 16-28-21. & 12-15-116 (a)(6)
§ Civil Proceedings. The Intake Office assists the public in the filing of the following civil petitions in Family Court:
§ Parentage of a child. Code, § 12-15-3](2),
§ Child support. Code, § 30-3-60.
§ Protection from abuse where there is no divorce pending. Code, § 30-5-2.
§ Waiver of parental consent for abortion- Code, § 26-21-4.
§ Removal of disabilities of nonage of a minor- Code, § 12-15-115(a) (1) & 2618-1 et seq.
The magistrates are on duty at the Family Court Courthouse and the Bessemer Courthouse during county office hours. At least one magistrate is on duty or on call at the G- Ross Bell Youth Detention Center at all other times for emergencies. For further information please contact the Intake Office, in
