Overview

The judges and staff of Fulton County Juvenile Court welcome you to its revised and expanded website. Juvenile Court serves the residents of Fulton County by hearing all cases involving allegations of dependencyof children under the age of 18, children in need of services under the age of 18, and delinquency and traffic violations concerning children under the age of 17. The court is organized by Title 15, Chapter 11 of the Official Code of Georgia. Fulton County Juvenile Court is the largest juvenile court in Georgia and amongst the largest in the Southeastern United States.

Fulton County Juvenile Court is located in the Judge Romae T. Powell Juvenile Justice Center at 395 Pryor St. SW, Atlanta, GA 30312. The court is open Monday through Friday between the hours of 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

In accordance with the Georgia Court Reopening Guide, all persons entering the Romae T. Powell Juvenile Justice Center will be required to wear a mask or facial covering at all times. The Fulton County Sheriff’s Office will provide a mask to entrants who do not have a face mask or facial covering. For more specific information, please see the 'Visiting Juvenile Court' overview page.

Notice Regarding Electronic Filing: Private Attorneys, Court Appointed Attorneys and Pro-Se Litigants may file pleadings and other legal documents electronically via the Clerk's Office email address: fcjc.clerk@fultoncountyga.gov. ** Please contact 404-613-4663 or (404) 612-4419 for additional information on submitting documents or pleadings electronically, prior to visiting the courthouse in person.

Parking is available in the lot located in front of the Juvenile Justice Center. The lot is accessible from Pryor Street Southwest, Fulton Street Southwest and Formwalt Street Southwest. The Juvenile Justice Center can also be reached by public transportation via MARTA Bus Route 49.

The Judge Romae T. Powell Juvenile Justice Center is a secure facility. All persons entering the building will be required to pass through a metal detector and have hand-carried objects scanned. Weapons of any kind, cameras and cell phones with cameras are not permitted into the building.

Juvenile Court Services

In keeping with its mission and mandates from both Fulton County and the State of Georgia, Fulton County Juvenile Court provides the following services:

• Appointment of Guardians
• Citizen Panel Review
• Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA)
• Children in Need of Services (CHINS) Proceedings
• Delinquency Proceedings
• Drug Testing
• Educational Advocacy Services
• Family Drug Court and Teen Drug Court Programs
• Guardian Ad Litem (GAL)
• Indigent Defense Services
• Juvenile Counseling
• Mediation Services
• Medical Care for Juveniles in Custody
• Mental Health Services
• Probation

Fulton County Juvenile Court serves the residents of Fulton County by hearing all cases allegations of dependency of children under the age of 18, allegations of delinquency, unruly conduct and traffic violations involving children under the age of 17. The Court is organized under Title 15, Chapter 11 of the Official Code of Georgia.

Organizational Divisions

Juvenile Court has three primary organizational divisions which work in concert to serve the court's mission. They are as follows:

Juvenile Court Administration

The Administration Office of Fulton County Juvenile Court ensures the timely, proper and efficient management of the budget, personnel administration, procurement, fiscal management of grants, facility management and planning, electronic data and telecommunications systems development and maintenance. Administration also oversees intergovernmental and community relations and staff development for the entire Juvenile Court.

The mission of Fulton County Juvenile Court Administration is the proper, careful and judicious management and oversight of all Court functions in support of the Court’s primary mission.

The Administrative Office is led by the Chief Administrative Officer and is overseen by Chief Presiding Judge Juliette W. Scales. The Administrative Office oversees the following departments:

• Accounting and Finance
• Accountability Courts
• Clerk of Court’s Office
• Human Resources
• Information Technology
• Probation Services

There are subdivisions of Juvenile Court Administration, they are as follows:

Accountability Courts

The Accountability Courts subdivision, under the guidance of Court Administration, implements established policies and protocols to support the operations of the Accountability Court programs as evidence based rehabilitative resource for supporting the mandated initiatives of Fulton County Juvenile Court. In addition, the coordinator and administrator of the Accountability Courts provides oversight of all program functions, including but not limited to: tracking and maintaining assigned budgets and established MOUs, maintaining files of referred youth, working with court partners and community volunteers to encourage participation, and identifying assessment tools for participants and providers, and ensuring proper outcomes for the Accountability Court programs.

The mission of the Fulton County Accountability Court initiative is to enhance public safety and strengthen the lives of court involved families by creating an environment whereby such court involved families with underlying drug, mental health and parenting issues  can receive meaningful and relevant intervention.

Clerk of Court's Office

The Clerk’s Office is a multilevel organization that encompasses multiple units within Juvenile Court. They are:

1. The Clerk’s Office maintains the official record of the Court and serves as a notary for the Court
2. Customer Service Representatives provide essential and upfront service to Court customers and provides assistance to customers regarding Court operations
3. The Case Management Unit assists the court by setting calendars, updating information through JCATS, certifying and filing documents, drafting and recording orders, notifying parties of court dates, managing judge’s schedules, recording cases, calling calendars, securing the presence of parties for court hearings and all other assigned duties.

The Mission of the Court Clerk’s Office is to accurately and proficiently maintain and keep the official records of the court, to assist the court in the processing and handling of cases that come through the court for consideration, and to ensure excellent customer service when dealing with interested parties that seek information and assistance regarding the records or other business of the court.

Court & Family Services

The Court & Family Services Division oversees the Child in Need of Services (CHINS) registry and the processing of CHINS cases, the Educational Advocate, the Citizen Review Panel and the Mediation Program. Combined, the division provides and manages services to qualifying children and families in support of Juvenile Court’s mission. Sub-units within Court & Family Services are:

Juvenile Court Judiciary

The Fulton County Juvenile Court is comprised of four presiding judges, Chief Judge Juliette W. Scales, Judge Renata D. Turner, Judge Wenona C. Belton and Judge Christopher W. Yokom and three full-time associate judges. The Judiciary conducts all hearings which are mandated by law to determine the existence of probable cause, the necessity for detention, adjudication and disposition of delinquency, dependency, CHINS, and traffic offenses; grants legitimations, guardianships, record sealings, permission to marry, to join the military or to determine parental notification of a minor’s intention to seek an abortion; and judicial reviews of children who are placed in foster care. By special authorization of the Fulton County Superior Court, the Fulton County Juvenile Court also conducts adoptions for those cases where the termination of parental rights has occurred to expedite permanency for these children.

The Judiciary is overseen by Chief Judge Juliette W. Scales

Pursuant to O.C.G.A. 15-11-1, the purpose of the Juvenile Court is to secure for each child who comes within the jurisdiction of the juvenile court such care and guidance, preferably in his or her own home, as will secure such care and guidance , emotional, mental, and physical welfare as well as the safety of both the child and community. It is the intent of the General Assembly to promote a juvenile justice system that will protect the community, impose accountability for violations of law, provide treatment and rehabilitation, and equip juvenile offenders with the ability to live responsibly and productively. It is the intent of the General Assembly to preserve and strengthen family relationships, countenancing the removal of a child from his or her home only when state intervention is essential to protect such child and enable him or her to live in security and stability. In every proceeding, the Court seeks to guarantee due process of law, as required by the Constitutions of the United States and the State of Georgia, through which every child and his or her parent and all other interested parties are assured fair hearings at which legal rights are recognized and enforced. The paramount child welfare policy of this state is to determine and ensure the best interests of its children.

Probation Services

The Juvenile Probation Division is established primarily to provide maximum treatment, supervision monitoring and rehabilitative services for juvenile offenders who have been brought before the Court for committing delinquent acts in violations of State and/or Local laws and ordinances prior to their 17th birthday.

The Fulton County Juvenile Court Probation Division not only provides treatment, rehabilitation and supervision, but also strives to maximize public safety by holding offenders accountable for their behavior using the most current and progressive means possible. The division fulfills these goals by addressing multiple causal factors which contribute to wayward youthful behavior. By providing maximum community based supervision and through the utilization of services provided by outside counseling agencies and service providers, the division seeks to positively impact not only the child, but the parents, family and entire community. Our holistic approach to reducing delinquency focuses on, but is not limited to, educational advocacy, job and employment readiness, addressing mental health concerns and identifying mentors to model appropriate behavior for our children.

The F.C.J.C. Probation Division seeks to maximize community safety as it relates to delinquent juvenile behavior by providing optimal probation supervision and treatment services that address underlying delinquency causing factors.