Juvenile division of the Williams County Common Pleas Court gets recognition from the state.

The juvenile division of the Williams County Common Pleas Court gets recognition from the state on its two specialized dockets. The dockets…juvenile treatment and family dependency…are not new, but have now received final certification from the Ohio Supreme Court after a long process that included a detailed application, courtroom visit, reports and program materials…in line with state standards. The two dockets operate with some similarities to drug court…the county’s third docket that addresses substance abuse in adult offenders. For an individual to enter the juvenile treatment docket, they must be referred. This referral often comes from their lawyer, prosecutor or even a family member, but the judge has the final say. Cases are then selected based on severity, meaning the individual must be considered a moderate to high risk to be entered into the docket. The court considers factors like family life, education and other aspects of their background.