Juvenile Defense Charges in Kentucky
A juvenile case in Kentucky runs through district court sitting as juvenile court, under KRS Chapters 600 to 645. The vocabulary is different on purpose: a child is charged in a petition, adjudicated rather than convicted, and the disposition is meant to be rehabilitative.
What the statute carries
| Court | District court sitting as juvenile court |
|---|---|
| Outcome | Adjudication and disposition, not conviction and sentence |
Three things people get wrong
- Juvenile records are confidential but not automatically destroyed, and some remain visible to later courts.
- A serious charge can be transferred to circuit court, where the young person is tried as an adult and faces adult penalties.
- A child has the same right to counsel as an adult, and the right to remain silent applies during questioning by police at school as much as anywhere else.
Questions people ask about this charge
How Kentucky grades an offense
| Grade | Prison or jail | Fine |
|---|---|---|
| Class A felony | 20 to 50 years, or life | $1,000 to $10,000, or double the gain |
| Class B felony | 10 to 20 years | $1,000 to $10,000, or double the gain |
| Class C felony | 5 to 10 years | $1,000 to $10,000, or double the gain |
| Class D felony | 1 to 5 years | $1,000 to $10,000, or double the gain |
| Class A misdemeanor | Up to 12 months | Up to $500 |
| Class B misdemeanor | Up to 90 days | Up to $250 |
| Violation | No jail | Up to $250 |
Sources: KRS 532.060, KRS 532.090, KRS 534.030, KRS 534.040.
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