Special Procedures and Policies During the COVID-19 Pandemic
The Alexandria Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court provides effective, efficient, and quality services, programs and interventions to juveniles, adults and families while addressing public safety, victim impact, offender accountability and competency development in accordance with court orders, provisions of the Code of Virginia and standards set forth by the Department of Juvenile Justice.
The Juvenile and Domestic Relations Courts (JDR) handle cases involving:
- children accused of delinquent acts, traffic infractions, or status offenses;
- children in need of services or supervision;
- children who have been subjected to abuse or neglect, or abandoned;
- children whose custody, visitation, support, or parentage is before the court;
- children for whom relief of custody or termination of parental rights is sought;
- children in foster care and former foster youth in the Fostering Futures Program;
- children seeking emancipation or work permits;
- children whose eligibility for federal or state benefits requires certain findings by the court;
- family or household members who have been subjected to or accused of abuse;
- adults accused of child abuse or neglect, or of offenses against a family or household member;
- spouses seeking support after separation;
- enforcement of support orders;
- court-ordered rehabilitation services;
- court consent for certain medical and mental health treatments; and
- court-ordered blood testing of minors.
The JDR courts are district courts, which in Virginia means they are not courts of record and there are no jury trials. All cases are heard and decided by the judge. Parties to a case can appeal the final decisions of the JDR court to the circuit court, which is a court of record and may involve a jury trial.
For more information regarding Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court please visit: Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Court (vacourts.gov)
The Alexandria Juvenile Court is staffed by two judges, the Clerk of Court, and six deputy clerks. The Court is assisted in the processing of its caseload by the Alexandria Court Service Unit, which handles the intake of all juvenile and some adult cases and also provides services to the Juvenile Court and families involved with the court including probation, counseling, family therapy, and parent education on custody/visitation matters.
Since 2002, The Alexandria Juvenile Court has been a Best Practices Court in the Commonwealth of Virginia. The focus of a Best Practices Court is to improve court practices for children in abuse and neglect cases. As part of the Best Practices Court Program there are yearly activities and training that the Alexandria Juvenile Court not only provides but also attends. These trainings have focused on a wide range of topics from child safety to immigration, but the focus always remains bettering court practices for children in abuse and neglect cases. Best Practices Courts are supported by the Virginia Court Improvement Program through the Office of the Executive Secretary of the Supreme Court of Virginia as well as the National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges’ Permanency Planning for Children Department.
Alexandria Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court state website: Alexandria Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Court (vacourts.gov)