Small Claims Court (District Court) Small claims is a division of District Court. It is an informal, inexpensive means for people to file claims in disputes that involve money or personal property valued at $1,500 or less. Parties involved in small claims actions can represent themselves without an attorney.

Juvenile Court (District Court) Juvenile Court is a division of District Court. Cases involving children under the age of 18 are handled in Juvenile Court. Cases filed in Juvenile Court include dependency; neglect and abuse; status offenders, such as runaways; children who are consistently tardy from school and those who have behavioral problems or are beyond adult control; and public offenders (delinquency), which include children charged with misdemeanors and felonies. In jurisdictions where there is a Family Court division of Circuit Court, the Family Court will hear matters of dependent, neglected and/or abused children, as well as status offenses when no public offense is pending. All other juvenile matters remain within the jurisdiction of Juvenile (District) Court.

Children charged with more serious felonies, such as rape or murder, may be transferred from Juvenile Court to Circuit Court to be tried as adults and, if convicted, imprisoned first in a juvenile facility and later in an adult prison.

In most cases, the first contact the child has with delinquency proceedings is through a court designated worker (CDW). CDWs interview children, review charges filed against them and advise the children of their rights. Unlike other District Court and Circuit Court hearings, which are open to the public, Juvenile Court hearings are closed to the public. However, once a juvenile has been transferred to Circuit Court to be tried as an adult, those Circuit Court proceedings as open to the public as any other Circuit Court criminal proceeding.

Drug Court (Circuit, Family and District Courts) Drug Court is a form of intensive judicial supervision of individuals with drug problems. Instead of immediate incarceration for drug use, Drug Court participants must regularly report before the judge regarding compliance with a drug rehabilitation program.

Drug Court has had a significant impact on reducing rearrest, reconviction and reincar-ceration rates. The program has saved the Commonwealth more than $14.5 million for the first 1,000 Drug Court graduates, based on outcome evaluations. Drug Court is supported by federal and state funds.