Scope: Pennsylvania juvenile delinquency law, with Northampton and Lehigh County practice. This page is written for parents and guardians, but the child—not the parent—is the client in a delinquency case. The statutes, statewide rules, and county materials cited below were checked on August 23, 2026. Current law and the child’s court orders control.
The short version
Pennsylvania’s Juvenile Act is a separate system, not adult criminal sentencing. It requires balanced attention to community protection, accountability, competency development, and the child’s treatment, supervision, and rehabilitation. An order of adjudication is not a criminal conviction. That distinction is important, but it does not make the case harmless. A child can be detained or placed, information can be sent to the child’s school in circumstances defined by the Act, the record does not disappear merely because the child turns 18, and some adjudications create a firearms prohibition whose duration depends on the exact offense.
The first deadlines are especially short. If a child is not released from detention, the detention hearing must occur no later than 72 hours after placement in detention. If the child remains detained after a petition is filed, the adjudicatory hearing ordinarily must occur within ten days after the petition is filed. Those rules apply to a detained child; a non-detained child’s adjudicatory hearing is governed by a reasonable-time standard. Pa.R.J.C.P. 240; Pa.R.J.C.P. 404.
Who this page is for
This page is for a parent or guardian whose child has been contacted by police, taken into custody, referred to juvenile probation, or served with a delinquency petition in Northampton or Lehigh County. A “delinquent child” generally must be at least age 10. The Juvenile Act’s definition of “child” includes an individual under 18 and, in specified circumstances, an individual under 21 who committed an alleged delinquent act before turning 18. Some serious allegations are excluded from ordinary juvenile-court treatment and can begin in criminal court. 42 Pa.C.S. § 6302.
If the matter began with ChildLine or a county child-welfare agency rather than a delinquency allegation, start with the CYS and dependency page. Dependency and delinquency are distinct proceedings even when both involve the same family.
Adjudication is not conviction—but it is not nothing
Pennsylvania law. At an adjudicatory hearing, the court first decides whether the Commonwealth proved beyond a reasonable doubt that the child committed the alleged acts. If it did, the court separately decides whether the child needs treatment, supervision, or rehabilitation. If the court finds no such need, the proceeding is dismissed and the court must begin the expungement process. 42 Pa.C.S. § 6341.
The child is entitled to counsel, may remain silent, may present evidence, and may cross-examine witnesses. An out-of-court confession by a person who was under 18 when it was made is not enough by itself to support an adjudication; it must be corroborated. 42 Pa.C.S. §§ 6337–6338. The case is heard by the court rather than a jury. If the child is adjudicated delinquent, the next step is a disposition selected under the Juvenile Act—not an adult criminal sentence.
Section 6354 states the legal distinction directly: an adjudication or disposition under the Juvenile Act is not a conviction of crime and does not itself impose the ordinary civil disabilities of a conviction. The same section also allows a delinquency disposition to be used in specified later juvenile, criminal, and civil proceedings. “Not a conviction” therefore does not mean “no future effect.”
The detention clocks: 72 hours, 24 hours, and ten days
Pennsylvania procedure. The current Rules of Juvenile Court Procedure—not an adult criminal rule—supply the working deadlines. They distinguish detention review, petition filing, and adjudication:
| Event | Current rule | Important qualification |
|---|---|---|
| Detention hearing | No later than 72 hours after placement in detention | The child and counsel may not waive the hearing |
| Petition after detention hearing | Within 24 hours or the next court business day | Applies if the child remains detained after the hearing |
| Adjudicatory hearing | Within 10 days after the petition is filed | Applies while the child is detained; Rule 240(D) contains limited extensions |
| Non-detained adjudicatory hearing | Within a reasonable time | The ten-day detained-child rule does not apply |
At the detention hearing, the court addresses probable cause, whether detention remains warranted, and identified special needs. If a detained child’s adjudicatory hearing is not held within ten days after filing the petition, Rule 404 requires release unless a Rule 240(D) exception applies. One extension of up to ten days may be granted when material evidence is unavailable despite due diligence and is reasonably expected later. Delay caused by the child can support additional periods of no more than ten days each, with findings stated on the record. Pa.R.J.C.P. 242; Pa.R.J.C.P. 240(D); Pa.R.J.C.P. 404.
The off-ramps: informal adjustment and consent decree
Pennsylvania law. An informal adjustment can resolve an appropriate written allegation through juvenile probation without filing a delinquency petition. It requires probable cause and the agreement of the child and parents or guardian to the proposed terms. It ordinarily lasts up to six months, with a possible court-approved extension of up to three months. 42 Pa.C.S. § 6323.
A consent decree operates after a petition is filed but before an adjudication order. On a proper motion, the court may suspend the proceeding under negotiated supervision terms agreed to by the affected parties. The decree ordinarily lasts six months and may be extended once for another six months. Successful discharge prevents a later prosecution based on the same alleged conduct. Six months after successful discharge, with no pending proceeding seeking adjudication or conviction, the court must commence expungement proceedings. 42 Pa.C.S. § 6340.
Neither route is automatic. The allegation, prior history, safety concerns, restitution, school and treatment information, the positions of probation and the district attorney, and the child’s willingness to comply can matter. That makes the intake and pre-hearing period a practical opportunity to assemble accurate records and a workable plan.
When juvenile court is not automatic
Pennsylvania law. Murder is excluded from the Juvenile Act’s definition of a delinquent act. The definition also excludes specified serious conduct allegedly committed at age 15 or older when a deadly weapon was used, as well as specified repeat-adjudication circumstances for a child age 15 or older. Those cases can begin in criminal court. The defense may seek transfer to juvenile court—often called decertification—and bears the statutory burden of showing that transfer serves the public interest. 42 Pa.C.S. §§ 6302, 6322.
In the other direction, the court may transfer a qualifying juvenile petition for criminal prosecution only after the required notice and hearing and the findings listed in § 6355. The statute addresses age, a prima facie felony case, public safety, the effects on the victim and community, culpability, available dispositions, maturity, prior history, reports, and amenability to treatment before juvenile jurisdiction expires. A direct-file or transfer question should be identified immediately because it decides which court system will hear the case.
The record does not disappear at 18
Pennsylvania law. Juvenile court files are restricted, not imaginary. Section 6307 identifies who may inspect court records, and § 6308 separately governs law-enforcement records. When the court finds a child delinquent, § 6341(b.1) requires specified information to be sent to the child’s school; a felony adjudication produces additional school notice. The school must keep the information separately from the official school record and use and disclose it only as the statute permits.
Expungement eligibility now depends on the route and the offense. The current statute includes these lanes, each subject to its full conditions and § 9123(a.1). That subsection excludes an age-14-or-older adjudication for rape, involuntary deviate sexual intercourse, aggravated indecent assault, or an attempt, solicitation, or conspiracy to commit one of those offenses:
| Case result | Ordinary eligibility point | Key condition |
|---|---|---|
| Unapproved allegation or dismissed case | After that result | Court process and district-attorney notice still apply |
| Informal adjustment | Six months after successful completion | No pending adjudication or conviction proceeding |
| Consent decree or diversion | Six months after final discharge | No pending adjudication or conviction proceeding |
| Most misdemeanor adjudications | Two years after final discharge | No later felony, misdemeanor, or adjudication and no such case pending |
| Felony, Chapter 61 misdemeanor, or specified indecent-assault adjudication | Five years after final discharge | The same clean-record and no-pending-case conditions |
| District-attorney consent | No fixed waiting period in that lane | The court weighs the statutory factors and must order relief |
The 2024 amendments direct juvenile probation to notify the court when listed cases become eligible and direct the court to commence expungement proceedings in the informal-adjustment, consent-decree, and other statutory lanes. Families should still verify that an order was entered and that every repository completed it; turning 18 by itself is not an expungement order. 18 Pa.C.S. § 9123; 42 Pa.C.S. §§ 6304(a.2), 6323(g), 6340(f), 6352(d). The record-clearing page and pardons and expungements page explain the broader remedies.
The firearms consequence
Pennsylvania law. A juvenile adjudication can create a Pennsylvania firearms prohibition even though § 6354 says the adjudication is not a criminal conviction. Section 6105(c)(7) covers adjudications for conduct that, if committed by an adult, would be one of the specifically listed offenses, including murder, voluntary manslaughter, aggravated assault, kidnapping, rape, arson, burglary, robbery, and theft by extortion. That paragraph contains no automatic age-30 or 15-year termination rule; separate relief questions must be analyzed under the rest of § 6105.
Section 6105(c)(8) covers other adjudications corresponding to offenses enumerated in § 6105(b). Its prohibition terminates 15 years after the last applicable delinquent adjudication or when the person reaches age 30, whichever is earlier. The exact offense and subsection matter. Do not assume an expungement, passage of time, or the label “juvenile” answered every state and federal firearms question. Read the 2026 Second Amendment landscape and get record-specific advice before possession. 18 Pa.C.S. § 6105(c)(7)–(8).
How cases move in Northampton and Lehigh County
Lehigh County. The court’s published delinquency overview identifies the District Attorney’s petition, Juvenile Probation intake, a detention hearing when a child is held, adjudication, disposition, and probation supervision. The county’s current local rule makes PACFile filing permissive in delinquency cases and preserves a paper-filing option; specified categories of papers are handled outside PACFile. Lehigh County Delinquency Court; Leh.R.J.C.P. 205.
Northampton County. The court’s public FAQ describes detention hearings, adjudicatory hearings involving an admission, contested adjudicatory hearings, and disposition hearings. The District Attorney’s Juvenile Unit also publishes several pre-adjudication diversion pathways. The current official materials checked did not identify a separate formal “PAC hearing,” so this page does not present one as a required county stage. Northampton County Juvenile Probation FAQ; Northampton County District Attorney—Juvenile Unit.
For an allegation that is filed directly or transferred into adult court, start with the criminal-defense page. For the surrounding county systems, see the Northampton County criminal-procedure guide and Lehigh County criminal-procedure guide. The statewide juvenile rules and the assigned judge’s orders remain controlling.
What to bring to a consultation
- Every police, probation, and court paper, including the written allegation, petition, detention order, notices, and docket number.
- The exact custody timeline, including when and where the child was placed in detention and when a petition was filed.
- School and treatment records, including attendance, discipline, evaluations, counseling, medications, and accommodations.
- Potential evidence, including messages, photographs, videos, witness names, device or account information, and a written chronology.
- Prior juvenile history, including an informal adjustment, consent decree, adjudication, placement, discharge date, or earlier expungement order.
Frequently asked questions
Is a juvenile adjudication a criminal conviction?
No. Under 42 Pa.C.S. § 6354, an adjudication or disposition under the Juvenile Act is not a conviction of crime. It is still a court record and can have later consequences in the circumstances defined by statute.
How long can my child be held before a detention hearing?
If the child is not released from detention, the detention hearing must occur no later than 72 hours after placement. If the child remains detained after a petition is filed, the adjudicatory hearing ordinarily must occur within ten days after filing, or the child must be released unless a Rule 240(D) exception applies.
Can my child’s case be resolved without an adjudication?
Possibly. Informal adjustment can resolve an appropriate allegation without a petition, and a consent decree can suspend a filed case before adjudication. Eligibility, agreement, and successful completion matter; neither route is automatic.
Will the juvenile record disappear when my child turns 18?
No. Current law includes expungement lanes after an unapproved or dismissed matter, six months after specified diversion outcomes, two years after most misdemeanor-adjudication discharges, five years after felony and specified other discharges, or with district-attorney consent and a court order. Each lane has conditions and exceptions.
Can a juvenile adjudication affect firearm rights?
Yes. Section 6105(c)(7) covers adjudications corresponding to a specific offense list and has no automatic age-30 or 15-year end date. For other enumerated offenses, § 6105(c)(8) ends the bar 15 years after the last applicable adjudication or at age 30, whichever is earlier.
Should my child talk to police or juvenile probation before counsel is involved?
Do not have the child give police a substantive account before counsel is involved. Juvenile-probation intake may still occur and court orders must be followed. Counsel may attend intake even though counsel is not mandatory there; qualifying statements have statutory protections, but intake information can still affect diversion and disposition.
This page is general information about Pennsylvania juvenile delinquency law and county practice, not legal advice about any child or case. Statutes, rules, local procedures, and court orders change or may create exceptions. Juvenile proceedings and records have confidentiality rules, but confidentiality is not a promise that no information can be disclosed. No diversion, release, transfer, expungement, restoration, or other outcome is promised, and reading this page does not create an attorney-client relationship.