Printer Friendly VersionJuvenile Court
341 The City DriveOrange, CA 92868-3209
Court Location
The Lamoreaux Justice Center is located in the City of Orange at 341 The City Drive. The courthouse is located one block east of The City Drive between Justice Center Way and Dawn Way. Public pay parking is located on Dawn Way.
From the Garden Grove/22 Freeway, take The City Drive exit; turn left onto The City Drive; proceed north on The City Drive; and turn right onto Dawn Way. The parking structure is located on your right.
From I-5, traveling south, take The City Drive exit; turn right onto The City Drive; proceed south on The City Drive; turn left onto Dawn Way. The parking structure is located on your right.
From I-5, traveling north, take the State College/The City Drive exit; turn left onto The City Drive; turn left onto Dawn Way. The parking structure is located on your right.
Major cross streets are Garden Grove Boulevard and Chapman Avenue. The Juvenile Court is located south of UCI Medical Center, and north of the Theo Lacy Jail Facility.
Hours of Operation
Click here for the Lamoreaux Justice Center hours
Mandatory Appearance by Parent(s):
Minors must appear with a parent or legal guardian.
Types of Cases
There are three distinct types of cases that are brought before the Juvenile Court: delinquency, dependency, and traffic/minor offenses.
Delinquency proceedings involve minors charged with committing an act which would be a crime if committed by an adult. Juvenile Court jurisdiction over delinquents is described in Welfare and Institutions Code Section 602. If allegations in the petition are found to be true, and if the minor is declared a ward of the court, the minor might remain at home on probation under certain conditions and with removal as a possible sanction for probation violation. Or a ward can be immediately removed from the home and placed in another setting, which can range from a group home to Juvenile Hall or a county camp, or in the more restrictive State of California Department of the Youth Authority.
Dependency actions involve minors who have allegedly been abused, neglected, or inadequately cared for by one or more parents. The jurisdiction prerequisites for such proceedings are described in Welfare and Institutions Code Section 300. Unlike delinquency or status offender proceedings (where the principal focus is on the conduct of the minor), dependency proceedings are initially directed towards demonstrating that the parent has harmed or is unable to properly care for his or her child. If Juvenile Court jurisdiction is established, the court will then determine whether the minor should be removed from the parent's custody and, if so, what placement would be most appropriate for the minor's needs.
Juvenile citations for traffic and/or minor offenses, including violations of municipal code ordinances, are issued by law enforcement agencies throughout Orange County. Although a minor may appear prior to the court date shown on the ticket as long as s/he brings a copy of the citation to the court, most minors appear on the court date indicated on the citation. Traffic/minor offenses can be adjudicated by reprimands, special projects, fines, traffic school, or volunteer community service, or, under certain serious circumstances, the court may refer the citation to the Probation Department so that the minor's case may be handled under delinquency proceedings.
Confidentiality
Orange County Juvenile Court limits access to juvenile court records in accordance with T.N.G. v Superior Court (1971) 4 C3d 767, 94 CR 813, and Welfare and Institution Code Section 827.
Availability of these records is restricted to certain court personnel, the minor, parents or guardian, attorneys involved in the case, and other persons designated by the Presiding Judge of Juvenile Court. Photo identification is required.
Other interested persons and the news media may petition the Orange County Juvenile Court for access to specific juvenile court records or to attend specific juvenile court hearings.
Petitions to Inspect and Receive Copies of Juvenile Records (WIC Section 827) are available at the Juvenile Court, 341 City Drive, P.O. Box 14169, Orange, Ca. 92613. There is no charge for the form.
The completed petition can be mailed to the above address or delivered to Juvenile Court Reception on the second floor of the Lamoreaux Justice Center. The Juvenile Court does not accept petitions via facsimile.
After reviewing the petition, the Presiding Judge of Juvenile Court will either grant or deny the request. A certified copy of the petition is then returned by mail to the petitioner if the petition is granted.
Juvenile court records may not be obtained or inspected by civil or criminal subpoena.
Record Sealing
Welfare and Institutions Code Section 781 permits persons who acquired records as juveniles to petition the juvenile court to have those records sealed.
Information and documents to initiate this record sealing process are available from the Orange County Probation Department.