Art. 769 Adjudication by the court

When a child's case goes to a hearing to decide the facts (called adjudication), a judge decides the outcome, not a jury. There's no jury option in these cases, no matter what the circumstances are.

This means the judge alone listens to the evidence and testimony presented during the hearing. The judge then makes the decision about what happened and whether the allegations are true. This is different from criminal court for adults, where a jury often decides these kinds of questions.

For families involved in these cases, this means all the arguments, evidence, and testimony will be directed at convincing the judge, not a group of jurors. The judge's decision at this hearing will determine what happens next in the case.