Terms Used In Iowa Code 232.149

• Adult: means a person other than a child. See Iowa Code 232.2
• Arrest: Taking physical custody of a person by lawful authority.
• Child: means any person under the age of eighteen years. See Iowa Code 232.68
• Complaint: means an oral or written report which is made to the juvenile court by any person and alleges that a child is within the jurisdiction of the court. See Iowa Code 232.2
• Complaint: A written statement by the plaintiff stating the wrongs allegedly committed by the defendant.
• Court: means the juvenile court established under section 602. See Iowa Code 232.2
• Criminal or juvenile justice agency: means any agency which has as its primary responsibility the enforcement of the state's criminal laws or of local ordinances made pursuant to state law. See Iowa Code 232.2
• Defendant: In a civil suit, the person complained against; in a criminal case, the person accused of the crime.
• Delinquent act: means :
   a. See Iowa Code 232.2
• Department: means the state department of human services and includes the local, county, and service area offices of the department. See Iowa Code 232.68
• Detention: means the temporary care of a child in a physically restricting facility designed to ensure the continued custody of the child at any point between the child's initial contact with the juvenile authorities and the final disposition of the child's case. See Iowa Code 232.2
• Dismissal: The dropping of a case by the judge without further consideration or hearing. ^Source:
• following: when used by way of reference to a chapter or other part of a statute mean the next preceding or next following chapter or other part. See Iowa Code 4.1
• Informal adjustment: means the disposition of a complaint without the filing of a petition and may include but is not limited to the following:
   a. See Iowa Code 232.2
• Institution: means a birthing hospital. See Iowa Code 252A.2
• Intake: means the preliminary screening of complaints by an intake officer to determine whether the court should take some action and if so, what action. See Iowa Code 232.2
• Intake officer: means a juvenile court officer or other officer appointed by the court to perform the intake function. See Iowa Code 232.2
• Judge: means the judge of a juvenile court. See Iowa Code 232.2
• Jurisdiction: (1) The legal authority of a court to hear and decide a case. Concurrent jurisdiction exists when two courts have simultaneous responsibility for the same case. (2) The geographic area over which the court has authority to decide cases.
• Juvenile: means the same as "child". See Iowa Code 232.2
• Juvenile court officer: means a person appointed as a juvenile court officer under section 602. See Iowa Code 232.2
• Juvenile diversion program: means an organized effort to coordinate services for a child who is alleged to have committed a delinquent act, when the organized effort results in the dismissal of a complaint alleging the commission of the delinquent act or results in informally proceeding without a complaint being filed against the child, and which does not result in an informal adjustment agreement involving juvenile court services or the filing of a delinquency petition. See Iowa Code 232.2
• Petition: means a pleading the filing of which initiates formal judicial proceedings in the juvenile court. See Iowa Code 232.2
• Public defender: Represent defendants who can't afford an attorney in criminal matters.
• social records: means all records made with respect to a child in connection with proceedings over which the court has jurisdiction under this chapter other than official records and includes but is not limited to the records made and compiled by intake officers, predisposition reports, and reports of physical and mental examinations. See Iowa Code 232.2
• state: means the general interest held by the people in the health, safety, welfare, and protection of all children living in this state. See Iowa Code 232.90
• United States: includes all the states. See Iowa Code 4.1